Director of Adoption & Family Support Services

MARE, Inc.; Newton (MA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

MARE, Inc. seeks a Family Support Services Director to oversee all family support programs, engage and retain adoptive families, and collaborate with DCF and other social workers to facilitate access to services throughout the adoption journey.

The role emphasizes strategic planning, staff supervision, and development of resources for diverse families. The director will lead program development, quality assurance, and cross-department collaboration to integrate family recruitment and support

Qualifications

• A degree in social work or a related field with at least two years of child welfare experience.
• Strong communication (written and verbal), organizational and interpersonal skills.
• Self-motivated, creative, resourceful, and able to work both independently and as a team member.
• Demonstrated experience with program development and leading complex projects.
• Working with diverse groups, and a minimum of two years’ experience supervising staff, interns or volunteers.
• Knowledge of the MA child welfare system and local resources to support families.
• Demonstrated comfort with modern office technology, including basic proficiency using a CRM database and the Microsoft Office suite.
• Mission-driven and share MARE's urgency for finding permanency for all children and teens in foster care, through innovation, compassion and collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Lead program development, quality assurance and evaluation initiatives for Family Support.
• Supervise, develop, and manage all Family Support Services staff, consultants, and interns.
• Contribute to employee engagement, staff retention, and professional development initiatives, fostering equity and organizational wellness.
• Create and revise agency wide systems and processes to respond to the needs of prospective families at different stages of the adoption process.
• Maintain systems to provide effective follow-up to families considering adoption.
• Advocate for families as they begin the adoption process and address institutional barriers.
• Develop partnerships to reach new families and represent the agency at community events.
• Participate in agency wide efforts to raise awareness of the need for adoptive families.
• Work with other Departments to support communications, fundraising, and recruitment efforts.
• Participate in Adoption Meet & Greets and other MARE events.
• Represent MARE at adoption conferences and workshops.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Program development

Staff supervision

CRM experience

MS Office proficiency

Collaboration

Diversity & inclusion

Education

BSW or related field

Tools

CRM

Microsoft Office

Job description

MARE, Inc. seeks a Family Support Services Director to oversee all family support programs, engage and retain adoptive families, and collaborate with DCF and other social workers to facilitate access to services throughout the adoption journey.

The role emphasizes strategic planning, staff supervision, and development of resources for diverse families. The director will lead program development, quality assurance, and cross-department collaboration to integrate family recruitment and support