CHILD PROTECTION SPECIALIST

State of Illinois; East St. Louis (IL); Hybrid; USD 72,000 - 104,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible Work Schedule

Job summary

The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services seeks a Child Protection Specialist to join a mission-driven team in Illinois. The role emphasizes organization, leadership, and clear communication to support children and families across the state.

Ideal candidates will have at least a master’s degree in social work or related field with relevant experience, and will be prepared to travel and work flexible hours as required by the position.

Qualifications

• Requires a master’s degree in social work or related human service field, with one year of directly related professional experience; OR a bachelor’s degree with one year of experience; OR a related bachelor’s degree with two years of experience.

Responsibilities

• Serves as Child Protection Specialist.
• Prepares and maintains reports, assessments, and case documentation.
• Selects, summarizes, and presents case material for transfer to permanency or prevention caseworkers.
• Determines the need for and coordinates placement of children in substitute care facilities.
• Attends multi-disciplinary diagnostic and technical staff conferences to assess needed services.
• Transports clients for protective custody, placement, or relocation.
• Performs other duties within the scope of enumerated duties.

Education

Master's degree in social work

Master's degree in related human service field

Bachelor's degree in social work

Bachelor's degree in related human service field

Job description

We continually strive for a workforce that reflects the growing diversity within the State of Illinois. A variety of employee backgrounds, perspectives, ideas and experiences are crucial to our ability to most effectively serve the public. Bilingual skills welcome

Reasonable Accommodation Statement

The State of Illinois is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to people with disabilities. Further, federal law requires employers to provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities. Please tell us if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job, interview for a job, or for any other activity related to the hiring process. Examples of reasonable accommodation include, but are not limited to, making a change to the application process (if possible), providing documents in an alternate format, using a sign language interpreter, or using specialized equipment.

To be provided a Reasonable Accommodation during the hiring process, you will need to provide a certification of disability from a physician, psychiatrist, school official or an Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS) Division of Rehabilitation Services (DRS) Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Counselor. Supporting documentation should be uploaded under My Documents → Additional Documents section for each application.

Any questions on Reasonable Accommodations can be directed to Central Management Services Disability Resource Center at [e-mail] or call [phone] for further information and to request or discuss an accommodation.

Sponsorship for Employment

The State of Illinois does not provide sponsorship for employment visa status (e.g. H-1B visa status), nor is the State able to provide extensions of optional practical training (OPT) under the STEM-designated degree program for F-1 students. To be considered for permanent employment with the State of Illinois, applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis.

Disclosure of Salary Information

In compliance with the Illinois Equal Pay Act, 820 ILCS 112/1 et seq., the State does not seek, request, or require a job applicant’s wage or salary history. Employment decisions are not made based on an applicant’s wage or salary history. To that end, please do not include wage or salary information in your resume or other profile or application materials.

Job Requisition ID: 59637
Opening Date: 10/20/2026
Closing Date: 11/04/2026
Agency: Department of Children and Family Services
Class Title: CHILD PROTECTION SPEC - 07163
Skill Option: None
Bilingual Option: None
Salary: Anticipated Starting Salary $6,768 monthly; Full Range $6,460 - $9,337 monthly
Job Type: Salaried
Category: Full Time
Number of Vacancies: 2
Bargaining Unit Code: RC062 Technical Employees, AFSCME
Merit Comp Code:
Work Hours: M-F 8:30am-5pm
Anticipated Hybrid Work Schedule Availability: 2 to 5 Days per week in office, depending on operational needs
Headquarter Location: 10 Collinsville Ave, East St. Louis, Illinois, 62201
Work County: St. Clair
Agency Contact: [e-mail]
Supervisor: Edna Norman

This position is a union position; therefore, provisions of the relevant collective bargaining agreement/labor contract apply to the filling of this position.

Position Overview:

• The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services is seeking an organized, professional, and results oriented individual to serve as Child Protection Specialist. DCFS offers a competitive compensation plan, excellent benefits, and a pension program. The ideal candidate for this position will have excellent organizational skills and strong leadership and communication capabilities. We invite you to join our innovative team to help make a positive difference in the lives of the children and families of Illinois.

Essential Functions:

• Serves as Child Protection Specialist
• Prepares and maintains a variety of reports, assessments, and case documentation
• Selects, summarizes, and presents case material for transfer to permanency caseworker or intact/preventioncaseworker
• Determines the need for and coordinates the placement of children in substitute care facilities
• Attends multi-disciplinary diagnostic and technical staff conferences to assess needed services
• Transports clients when taking protective custody, when placing them in substitute care, and when changingplacement location
• Performs other duties as required or assigned which are reasonably within the scope of the duties enumeratedabove

Minimum Qualifications:

• Preferably requires a master’s degree in social work OR requires a master’s degree in a related human service field, incriminal justice, criminal justice administration, or law enforcement and one year of directly related professional experience;OR requires a bachelor’s degree in social work and one year of directly related professional experience; OR requires abachelor’s degree in a related human service field, in criminal justice, criminal justice administration, or law enforcement andtwo years of directly related professional experience.
• The college or university issuing a bachelor’s or master’s degree must be accredited, and the degree program in social workmust be approved by the Council on Social Work Education

Conditions of Employment:

• Requires travel, a valid driver’s license, daily access to an automobile, and proof of vehicle insurance.
• Requires ability to pass a background check.
• Requires physical, visual, and auditory ability to carry out assigned duties.
• Overtime is a condition of employment, and you may be requested or required/mandated to work overtime, including scheduled, unscheduled, or last-minute overtime. This requires the ability to work evenings and weekends. This also requires the ability to work in a 24 hour “on call” capacity.
• The conditions of employment listed here are incorporated and related to any of the job duties as listed in the jobdescription.

About the Agency:

DCFS is deeply committed to the welfare and protection of children. Our goal is to protect children by strengthening and supporting families. In every effort, from receiving hotline calls to reaching family reunification or foster care and adoption, children and families are our focus.

As a State of Illinois Employee, you will receive a robust benefit package that includes the following:

• Competitive Group Insurance Benefits including Health, Life, Dental and Vision Insurance
• 3 Paid Personal Business Days annually
• 12 Paid Sick Days annually (Sick days carry over from year to year)
• 10-25 Days of Paid Vacation time annually - (10 days in year one of employment)
  • Personal, Sick, & Vacation rates modified for 12-hour & part-time work schedules (as applicable)
• 13 Paid Holidays annually, 14 on even numbered years
• Flexible Work Schedules (when available dependent upon position)
• 12 Weeks Paid Parental Leave
• Deferred Compensation Program - A supplemental retirement plan
• Optional Pre-Tax Programs such as Medical Care Assistance Plan (MCAP), Dependent Care Assistance Plan (DCAP)
• Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program eligibility
• GI Bill®Training/Apprenticeship Benefits eligibility for qualifying Veterans
• 5% Salary Differential for Bilingual Positions

DOES NOT contain “Specialized Skills” (as that term is used in CBAs).