Training and Development Specialist

Foster Care Licensing SpecialistStepStone Family & Youth Services provides trauma informed, youth centered services to children and families involved in foster care. The Foster Care Licensing Specialist plays a vital role in recruiting, educating, and supporting foster families to provide safe, stable, and nurturing homes where children and youth can heal, grow, and thrive.We are seeking a compassionate and relationship focused Foster Care Licensing Specialist who is passionate about supporting children and families through trauma informed, strengths based, and family centered practices. This role is ideal for a professional who enjoys community engagement, foster parent recruitment, licensing coordination, and building meaningful partnerships while helping expand the network of qualified foster families.The Foster Care Licensing Specialist is responsible for recruiting prospective foster parents, guiding families through the licensing and certification process, completing home studies, maintaining licensing compliance, and providing ongoing support to foster families. This position works closely with foster parents, treatment teams, referral sources, leadership staff, and community partners to promote placement stability and positive outcomes for youth and families.The ideal candidate is organized, energetic, solutions focused, and committed to helping foster families feel informed, supported, and prepared throughout the licensing process while promoting safe, stable, and healing environments for every child placed in care.ResponsibilitiesCoordinate and engage in recruitment and awareness activities to recruit prospective foster/adoptive parents and build community awareness relationsDevelop and implement proactive, strategic recruitment plans designed to attract and certify qualified candidates, while maintaining a pipeline of both active and passive candidates for future training and certificationRespond to foster parent inquiries within 24 hours via phoneDevelop strategies to support efforts for general, targeted and child-specific recruitment and marketingUnderstand and follow all agency and state licensing requirements and always ensure foster parents' compliance with regulationsAssist with and complete the certification process with foster parents, including the completion of required documentationComplete parent interviews, background clearances, and home inspections to evaluate suitability, safety, and well-being of youth placed in the homes.Maintain foster parent files in compliance with agency and state regulationsAssist in the placement process and successful matching of youth and foster parents based on the needs of referred youth and the level of training, strengths, and expertise of the foster familyMaintain professional boundaries, conduct, confidentiality and other governmental laws and regulations, agency policy and licensure ethicsAttend all company required meetings, in addition to community meetings to provide on-going collaboration with referral sources and community providersProvide support to all members of the treatment team, including case manager, therapist, foster parents, and youth to ensure needs are met and ensure placement stabilityEnsure safety and well-being of all youth in care by observing for signs of abuse and/or neglectTravel to affiliate locations; frequent travel associated with recruitment events requiredParticipate in the developmental implementation of Corrective Action Plans for foster parents in conjunction with the program supervisorProvide services that respect each family and youth's cultural background, heritage and identityConduct Monthly Foster Parent record reviews; 25% each monthConduct Monthly Foster Parent Meetings and monthly Foster Parent trainingsSee children in home once monthly, at a minimum, as neededCreate and maintain child files and complete monthly reports for each child, as neededQualificationsA bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in social work, psychology, childhood education, education counseling and psychology, or other human service, behavioral science field or public administration fieldMinimum of one year of work experience in a Child Placing Agency, the Department of Family and Children Services, or Non-Profit AgencyOne to two years of Experience in Resource Development/ Foster Parent Recruitment and Retention preferredOne year of marketing, fundraising, and event coordination preferredOne to five years' experience in full cycle recruiting in a fast paced, professional oriented environment preferredComplete Tier 1 and Tier 2 State Assessor training and maintain Assessor certificationHave a strong recruiting mentality and a general understanding of a recruiting life cycle from sourcing/lead generation to filling positionsDemonstrate knowledge of vast recruiting strategies, including social media platformsStrong attention to detail, highly organized, highly energetic, and positive and encouraging attitudeEffective at cold calling, pursuing leads, and transforming candidates into licensed caregiversAbility to remain client focused and use independent judgement in problem solving required Strong interpersonal skillsStrong project management, new business development and client retention skills a mustA documented track record of achieving targeted objectives is required.Possess critical thinking skills, supported by intellectual curiosity and sound business judgmentOutstanding telephone presence and superior written communication skills; team player and natural leader; competitiveStepStone Family and Youth Services, an affiliate of BrightSpring Health Services, provides the full spectrum of support to children in need of alternative, safer, and more positive living environments with residential and family services. StepStone connects children and youth who need homes with foster families, as well as foster care training, respite care and support services. For young adults transitioning from foster care to independent living, StepStone provides personalized guidance and training on basic life skills, including money management and education.