CHILD PROTECTIVE INVESTIGATOR - 60002938

Florida; Arcadia (FL); On-site; USD 45,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

The Florida Department of Children and Families is seeking a dedicated Child Protective Investigator to protect vulnerable children by conducting investigations into abuse, neglect, and other critical situations. This role requires gathering evidence through interviews with families and observations, and assessing safety risks to determine appropriate actions.

Responsibilities include arranging emergency placements when needed, coordinating with state authorities, and linking families to

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED plus four years of law enforcement or active military service.
• Associate degree/60+ credits plus two years professional work experience or two years law enforcement/military service.
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
• Proof of conferred degree within 30 days of hire; Florida Child Protective Investigator Certification within 12 months.

Responsibilities

• Conduct investigations of abuse, neglect, abandonment and/or special conditions for children.
• Collect information through observation and interviews with children, parents, relatives and neighbors.
• Assess danger threats, child vulnerabilities and caregiver protective capacities to determine safety.
• Arrange emergency placement for any child that cannot safely remain in home.
• Notify state attorney, law enforcement and child protection teams.
• Provide families with service linkages to agency and community resources.
• Conduct initial/ongoing child present and impending danger assessments.
• Report indications of abuse, neglect and/or abandonment to the Florida Abuse Hotline.

Skills

Decision making

Education

High school diploma or GED

Associate degree (60+ credits)

Bachelor's degree

Job description

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CHILD PROTECTIVE INVESTIGATOR - 60002938

Date: Oct 13, 2026

The State Personnel System is an E-Verify employer. For more information click on our E-Verify Website .

Requisition No:885516

Agency: Children and Families

Working Title: CHILD PROTECTIVE INVESTIGATOR - 60002938

Position Number:60002938

Salary: $50,000.08 annually / $1,923.08 bi-weekly

This posting will be used to fill position vacancies in Career Service.

Current employees will be compensatedin accordance withthe DCF salary policy.

How you will make an impact:

Be The One Who Shows Up!

Children in crisis need quick action from strong, compassionate individuals dedicated to ensuring their safety. This demanding and challenging career could be your opportunity to speak for those with no voice and fight to help ensure the safety of those who cannot protect themselves. We are looking for people who are detailed-oriented,possessgood decision-making skills, and can thrive in a high-pressure, fast-paced environment. When seconds count, your career decision may be the critical difference in the life of a child.

What you will do:

Conductinvestigations of abuse, neglect,abandonmentand/or specialconditions for children;

Collect information through observation and interviews with the children, parents, relatives,andneighbors;

Assess danger threats, childvulnerabilitiesand caregiver protective capacitiesin order todeterminewhether a child is safe;

Arrange emergency placement for any child that cannot safely remain in theirhome;

Notify state attorney, lawenforcementandchild protection teams;

Provide families with service linkages to agency and community resources;

Conduct initial/ongoing child present and impending danger assessments;

Reportindicationof abuse,neglectand/or abandonment to the Florida Abuse Hotline.

Qualifications:

A high school diploma or GED equivalent and four years of lawenforcementexperience or active military service(honorably discharged or status that current service reflects serving honorably);OR

An associate degree or 60+ credit hours from an accredited college or university and two years of professional work experience (see examples below) or two years of law enforcementexperience or active military service(honorably discharged or status that current service reflects serving honorably);

Examples of professionalwork experience could be, although not limited to:

Guardian Ad Litem or similar child advocate role

Family Support Worker

Group Home Worker

Teacher/Teacher's Assistant/Aide

Therapeutic Assistant

Family Intervention Specialist

Home Health Aide/CNA

Healthcare Practitioner(LPN,RN) or similar profession

Nursing Facility Assistant

Paramedic/EMT

Dispatcher

Security/SafetyOfficer

Emergency Management Deputy/Director or similar position

Investigator (sworn/non-sworn) for a government entity

Otherwelfare, education,first responder, emergency managementor medicalprofessional jobs that occur in high-paced, high-stress environments that require critical decision-making to occur.

OR

A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.

An official letter from the college/university registrar or unofficial transcriptions withanticipatedgraduation dates and creditsearned must be provided for all diploma/degree requirements.

Proof of conferred degree such as official transcripts or copy of diploma/degree must be provided within 30 days of hire as a condition of employment.

Must obtaina Florida Child Protective InvestigatorCertification from the Florida Certification Board within 12 months after obtaining provisional certification. All Investigators mustmaintaincertification as a condition of employment. Informationregardingcertification can be found at: Florida Certification Board

Valid Driver License; and

Mustpossessoperational private vehicle for use in the performance of daily work activities