Foster Care Navigator

Job Description

Job Description

About This Role

The Foster Care Navigator will facilitate parent training, technical assistance, communication, innovation, and collaboration to support the needs of children and families. The Navigator will establish relationships within the community, develop and implement activities to recruit foster, kinship, and adoptive families. Through coaching, resources, and ongoing support, foster family applicants will gain the skills needed to become successful foster families. The Navigator will also provide support from intake to foster certification, helping families navigate the process.

• Develop, implement, and evaluate an outreach plan that stays informed of current children services policy and procedure changes and community-specific resources to share with current or potential foster/adoptive caregivers, families, and community partners.
• Partner with the ODJFS/DCY to recruit qualified foster/adoptive caregivers on behalf of the counties in SDA 2.
• Coordinate special events, such as workshops, fairs, presentations, and community events, to support foster family recruitment.
• Present to various audiences, including children service agencies, legislators, churches, parents, and community partners, to spread awareness, generate referrals, and cultivate relationships.
• Provide training, technical assistance, and support to potential foster/adoptive caregivers through a caseload model of service delivery, guiding them through initial screenings, orientation, trainings, requirements, and steps to become a foster/adoptive parent.
• Respond to inquiries and requests from current and potential providers, families, and community agencies via phone, email, and committee meetings, providing up-to-date information and connections to community resources.
• Provide exceptional customer service to external and internal customers, responding promptly to emails, calls, and/or texts.
• Establish and maintain positive relationships with regional training centers, collaborating agencies, community partners, parents/families, parent groups, and public and private children services agencies.
• Design and create promotional materials and informational resources, including fliers, newsletters, website content, and social media materials.
• Prepare reports and maintain records of outreach activities, ensuring progress on established goals.
• Assume other responsibilities as assigned by the supervisor.

• Ability to successfully pass a background check.
• Current state driver’s license, automobile insurance and access to a reliable automobile
• Knowledge of and experience with technology and computer software, such as Zoom, Microsoft Office products
• Experience in/understanding of the provision of quality customer service
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, cultural relevancy and inclusion required
• Proven ability to work in a team environment
• Excellent listening skills with the ability to give and receive critical feedback
• Ability to work occasional evening and weekend hours within the work week
• Ability to maintain timely documentation/data entry into an electronic data system
• Excellent written and oral communication and organization skills to relate to a broad spectrum of community organizations, and funders.
• Knowledge of children service agency structure and process in Ohio
• Prefer experience either as a foster parent, having worked in a foster care or children service setting/facility, or having worked as a county children service case worker
• Bachelor’s Degree in social work, counseling, business, marketing or related field.

We are seeking an individual with a strong passion for social work and fostering connections with local communities.

Fulltime position

• Benefits: Medical (CCRC pays toward), Life (paid by employer), 403b Retirement, Sick Leave, Vacation Time, Hybrid work scehdule