Specialized Adoption Recruiter

Job Description

Job Description

A Career at Little Flower

Little Flower Children and Family Services of New York is a nonprofit organization that has worked to improve the well-being of children, youth, and families across New York City and Long Island since 1929. Our staff of more than 500 provides prevention services, foster care, residential treatment care, adoption services, and medical and mental health services.

A career with Little Flower can be rewarding in so many ways. We are looking for conscientious and caring people who are ready to commit to the work of strengthening families and supporting the well-being of children. If you’re looking for a career where you can truly make a difference, we hope you will consider joining our team.

Specialized Adoption Recruiter

The Wendy’s Wonderful Kids recruiter will connect youth who wait for permanent homes with families who wish to adopt by implementing and coordinating effective recruitment, matching and support services for a caseload of 12-15 youth in active recruitment status. The recruiter will use the evidence-based, child-focused recruitment model to identify legally permanent resources for youth in the county’s permanent custody or APPLA status who are over the age of nine, have special needs and/or are part of a sibling group.

Principle Responsibilities:

• Work in partnership with agency staff to identify youth for referrals to the WWK program
• Review the case record, interview the youth, caseworker, other agency staff with knowledge of the case and any available family members and/or other supportive connections to assist in the recruitment process
• Utilize internet search tools to identify resources within the youth’s network
• Develop an initial written adoption readiness assessment describing the youth’s understanding and feelings about adoption
• Create child-focused recruitment plans for the youth
• Meet with the youth on a monthly basis
• Communicate with the caseworker on a monthly basis to review the progress of the recruitment plan
• Meet with family members and supportive connections to discuss the progress of locating permanent resources for the youth
• Once matched, work with the caseworker, youth and the adoptive resource to ensure pre-placement visits are implemented
• Assist with the development and coordination of the transition plan with the youth and matched family. Work with the youth and family during the transition process to assist with placement support
• Work in conjunction with the caseworker to ensure that the adoptive family is working towards adoption finalization
• Attend educational opportunities provided by the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption including, but not limited to: WWK classroom training, database training, webinars, and the Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Summit hosted by the Foundation
• Submit monthly data in the WWK database

Minimum Requirements:

• Qualifications for the WWK recruiter are per the agency’s policies. Relevant experience in child welfare including knowledge of issues surrounding foster care, adoption, trauma, medical and developmental needs and the importance of legal permanency are recommended as well as familiarity with state child welfare rules and procedures and the juvenile and/or probate court systems
• Bachelor’s degree with two years post graduate direct experience recommended, MSW preferred
• Expertise in providing family support/excellent customer service
• Ability and willingness to travel with flexibility to work evenings and occasional weekends
• Computer literacy and efficiency with MS Office software
• Must have a commitment to work from a strength-based and/or youth development perspective

Special qualifications:

• Belief that all children deserve legal permanency
• Highly motivated self-starter
• Knowledgeable regarding the impact of trauma and trauma-informed practices
• Demonstrated ability to organize and manage multiple projects and cultivate relationships
• Demonstrated ability to cultivate strong working relationships with diverse populations, including public agency staff
• Willingness to engage in cold calling people identified as current and previous connections of the youth
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills

Travel Requirements:

• This position is located in Brooklyn, NY.
• Travel within the five boroughs and Long Island is required.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Statement

With more than 250 years of combined experience, Little Flower Children and Family Services of New York and St. John’s Residence for Boys have a long-standing history of serving children, youth, adults and families of color. Our mission, vision and values are grounded in elevating the shared humanity of every staff member, community partner and those with whom we engage. We recognize that our DEIB work is continuously evolving as we strive for equity and inclusion for individuals of all races, ethnicities, genders, sexualities, ages, abilities, religions and lived experiences.