Adoption Specialist

Safe Children Coalition Inc; United States; On-site; USD 50,000 - 55,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

5 weeks of PTO

12 paid holidays

Employee Assistance Program

Professional development

Job summary

Safe Children Coalition Inc is seeking an Adoption Specialist to work directly with children in care in Manatee County, Florida. This role involves recruiting homes for waiting children, conducting assessments, and guiding families through the adoption process. The ideal candidate will have a Bachelor’s degree in a human services field and childcare experience.

The position offers a comprehensive benefits program, including 5 weeks of PTO, health benefits, and professional development opportunities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and 1-year related experience or 2 years post-bachelor’s experience.
• Must obtain Florida Child Welfare Certification within 12 months.
• 40 hours of in-service training required each year.

Responsibilities

• Conduct home visits to assess children's readiness for adoption.
• Develop recruitment plans for children in need of adoptive homes.
• Guide adoptive families through the adoption process.

Skills

Knowledge of child welfare

Communication skills

Crisis intervention

Interpersonal skills

Analytical skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in a human services field

Tools

CRM systems

Job description

Description

The Adoption Specialist (AS) works directly with children in care to provide them a forever family for Manatee County (office location in the Lakewood Ranch area). This includes conducting home visits, ensuring the child’s needs are met, recruiting homes for waiting children, conducting home studies and child assessment studies, matching waiting children with adoptive families, preparing children and families for the adoption process, providing support and guidance through the process, coordinating subsidy, and facilitating legal finalization.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Visit the child in the home setting at least once every 25 days (or more if directed by supervisor) to assess the child’s adjustment and readiness for adoption.
• Be generally knowledgeable about the child and family and have sufficient information to present at court, administrative staffing, permanency staffing, and school staffing.
• Develop individualized recruitment plan for children waiting for adoptive homes.
• Facilitate placing children on various exchanges and databases to aid in recruitment efforts.
• Conduct an in-depth home study process with adoptive applicants.
• Conduct an in-depth child study process.
• Provide ongoing supervision and support to the adoptive placement, ensuring that the family provides a safe and secure home environment for the child, including immediate referral for crisis intervention and supportive counseling to the primary caregiver to stabilize the child in their current placement.
• Thoroughly discuss and explain the adoption process with adoptive applicants and guide them through all adoption paperwork, including the adoption subsidy process/other benefits, and all paperwork needed for adoption finalization.
• Provide post-adoption planning, informing families of local resources that are available to them in the future.

Requirements

Education and Training Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in a human services field from an accredited university or college and one-year related post‑bachelor’s degree experience, or a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university in human services and two years post‑bachelor’s degree experience.
• Must obtain Florida Child Welfare Certification within 12 months from the date of successful completion of Pre‑Service Post Test. Candidates must successfully complete the State Certified training and exam, a structured period of observation in and out of the office, including home and field visits, and will be observed by a Quality Assurance Specialist, Direct Supervisor, and Lead Agency Job Coach during the certification process. Must also complete the prescribed re‑certification requirements every two years, as well as annual trainings mandated by the agency.
• Complete a minimum of 40 hours of in‑service training each full year of employment. The in‑service training must include but not be limited to, indicators of child abuse; neglect and abandonment; substance abuse; community resources; independent living; and other topics related to child welfare.
• Complete agency web‑based courses as part of agency orientation.

Certificates, Licences and Registrations

• Preferred Child Welfare experience and/or Child Welfare Case Manager Certification.

A comprehensive benefits program including

• 5 weeks of PTO accruals available during the first year of employment
• 12 paid holidays
• Professional development
• Ongoing coaching and feedback
• Employee Assistance Program (“EAP”)

Health Benefits with shared premium costs

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Life
• Short‑term disability
• Long‑term disability
• 401(k) retirement

Pay range: $50,000 - $55,000