Foster Care and Adoption Guide

Description

A world where every child is safe, every family is strong, and hope outshines hardship. We help children heal from trauma so they can build healthy relationships, succeed in education and discover their own world of opportunities and possibilities.

In response to this community-wide challenge, Presbyterian Children’s Homes and Services (PCHAS), now operates 12 programs in 34 locations, serving nearly 4,500 children and families each year, which provide children with permanent homes and adults with increased self-sufficiency. This is accomplished by the agency’s commitment to “The PCHAS Way” which inspires the agency to be strength-focused, family-centered, and goal driven with every client.

Benefits of serving children and families in need through PCHAS include competitive salaries, flex work schedules, paid time off, medical, dental and vision insurance options, voluntary life insurance options, paid holidays, and a very generous retirement plan (after one year of service and working 1,000 hours the agency matches an employee 200% up to a 3%).

FLSA Status:

Non-Exempt

Position Summary

The Foster Care & Adoption Guide (Guide) is on a mission to find foster and adoptive families to care for children referred to Presbyterian Children’s Homes and Services (PCHAS). The Guide is often the face and voice of PCHAS in the community (online and in-person) and works as a member of the Community & Church Engagement team to communicate the need for foster and adoptive families, hosting events and speaking to audiences and individuals. The Guide supports PCHAS Foster Care & Adoption regional programs, including The Foster Care Village, and provides marketing support for The Counseling Centers at PCHAS as needed. The Guide works in a primarily self-directed manner and maintains a high level of organization, flexibility, and creativity. The Guide must demonstrate strong interpersonal communication skills and have experience in creating programs and/or events in a variety of community and church settings in collaboration with paid and volunteer clergy, church, and community leaders.

You will serve our Foster Care & Adoption programs in Irving, Wichita Falls and Graham, and Itasca, along with The Foster Care Village in Itasca. You will also give marketing support to The Counseling Centers at PCHAS when needed. You will work from home and report to our Director of Community & Church Engagement. You may live in or near Wichita Falls or the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

We do not want someone who simply follows a plan. We want someone who helps write it. You will help build our recruitment strategy, test new ideas, and tell us what works and what does not. If you love to try fresh approaches, learn from the results, and try again, you will fit right in.

The goal of foster care is to restore families. We cheer for reunification whenever it is safe. When adoption becomes the plan, we come to it with humility. We honor the loss every child carries. We also work for openness and lifelong connection with a child's family and story.

You May Be the One We’re Looking For If You:

• Get energized by people, and even more by finding families for children.
• Care deeply about children and believe every child deserves a family, no matter their needs, behaviors, or history.
• Have experience with foster care, adoption, or kinship care, on the job or in your own life.
• Make people feel welcome. Others call you friendly, curious, outgoing, and full of common sense. You connect with all kinds of families and respect every culture and background.
• Enjoy a flexible schedule and meeting families when it works best for them.
• Feel at home on video calls, email, text, and phone, and love to speak to groups of any size with fresh stories.
• Feel comfortable asking a pastor or business leader to partner with us.
• Dream up new ways to reach families, try them, and use data to make your next move smarter.
• Stay organized, keep careful records, and follow up on time without being asked.
• Work well on your own, partner well with other teams, and check in with a supervisor in another part of the state.
• Stay calm and kind when things get busy or stressful.

Essential Job Functions

Welcome families

• Answer questions from families curious about foster care, adoption, and kinship care by phone, email, video, and in person. Give every family great customer service.
• Do the first screening conversation, record it in our data system, and hand families who seem like a good match to our Home Development team to begin the approval process.

Spread the word

• Represent PCHAS at community events, expos, speaking events, and meetings.
• Speak to churches, civic groups, and organizations about the need for foster and adoptive families.
• Create and lead Community & Church Engagement Initiatives that help us meet our recruitment goals.
• Grow friendships with pastors, churches, community leaders, and other child-placing agencies, and work side by side with our local Foster Care & Adoption staff.

Plan and create

• Help shape our agency recruitment plans.
• Help create content for our website, social media, and print materials.
• Study what works, share what you learn, and support your teammates as they support you.

What the Job Demands:

We want you to know what you are signing up for. This job is rewarding, and it is also demanding.

• You will travel. You will often drive to events and meetings across our region. This includes Dallas/Fort Worth, Waco, Cleburne, Waxahachie, Hillsboro, Wichita Falls, Graham, Vernon, Mineral Wells, Decatur, and Gainesville. Some trips will require overnight stays.
• You will work some evenings and weekends. Families and churches are often free outside of regular business hours. You will work about eight hours a day, with a flexible schedule and frequent evening events.
• You will carry the load. You may lift and move event materials up to 40 pounds and stand for long periods while you meet with families at events.
• You will work in a fast-paced setting. Some days will bring high energy and high stress. You may meet families in community spaces, offices, and even homes.
• You will lead yourself. No one will stand next to you each day. You will plan your time, set your own priorities, and keep moving.

Working Conditions

The Foster Care & Adoption Guide (Guide) will work from home and/or a designated office space in the assigned region(s) as indicated by the Director of Community & Church Engagement and participate in activities in a variety of settings, including the office, community, churches, homes, virtually/online and other locations. The Guide will work an average of eight hours per day. Flexibility during the daily schedule will be necessary to provide extraordinary customer service to families, churches