Engagement & Licensing Specialist

SAFY of America; Canton (OH); On-site; USD 45,000 - 62,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

Dental benefits

Vision benefits

401(k) with company match

Paid holidays and vacation

Job summary

SAFY of Ohio is seeking a full-time Engagement & Licensing Specialist to recruit, license, engage and retain foster parents in Canton and surrounding areas. The role involves coordinating training, home studies, and community outreach to build a steady pipeline of qualified foster families.

The position emphasizes collaboration with staff, community partners, and volunteers, with a strong focus on compliance, budgeting, and timely reporting.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in social work or a human services field.
• Two years of relevant experience in client and/or community engagement.
• Excellent communication skills (oral and written) and comfort with public speaking.
• Strong interpersonal and relationship building skills.
• Self-motivated and goal oriented.
• Experience in child welfare is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Recruit foster parents and coordinate licensing and engagement activities.
• Engage with community organizations and events to build relationships.
• Plan speaking engagements and coordinate recruitment opportunities.
• Manage budget within guidelines and monitor activities.
• Conduct home studies and assist licensure processes within state requirements.
• Ensure timely data entry and compliance reporting.

Skills

Two years of experience in client &/or

Public speaking

Relationship building

Budget management

Microsoft Office

Education

Bachelor's degree in social work or human services

Tools

Agency databases

Online systems

Job description

SAFY of Ohio is seeking a full-time Engagement & Licensing Specialist who will be responsible for the recruitment, licensing, engagement and retention of foster parents, as defined by annual goals in Canton and surrounding areas.

Who We Are

At SAFY, our mission is Preserving Families & Securing Futures. For 40 years, our work has rested on a single, radical idea – children belong in families. We believe that every child and family deserve the opportunity to reach their full potential. We are a team of 500 employees across seven states providing services such as Family Preservation & Reunification, Behavioral Health, Therapeutic Foster Care, Adoption Services and Older Youth Services so the families and children we serve can build resilience and thrive.

Licensing/Recruiting

What You’ll Do

• Works individually and in conjunction with other staff, foster parents, and community-based volunteers to develop and implement on-going recruitment activities to attract caring adults interested in becoming foster and/or respite parents using a variety of creative tactics.
• Consistently follows-up with prospective adults interested in becoming foster parents using phone, email, face-to-face contact, and mail. Will provide ongoing engagement with prospective foster parents as they go through licensure process.
• Serves as key liaison with the community and with other organizations, attending events, and regular participation at community meetings. This includes relationship building with prospective foster and respite parents, current foster and respite parents, local business, news media, churches, community volunteers and leaders.
• Coordinate, plan, schedule, facilitate or oversee speaking engagements at community/civic organizations as needed. Coordinate exhibits and special events. Identify, coordinate and participate in recruitment opportunities such as foster parent/child welfare conferences, trainings, and community events.
• Manage budget with guidelines.
• Monitor competitors’ foster parent recruitment and advertising activities.
• Perform home study of prospective foster/adoptive parent(s) and their home environment according to SAFY policy and specific requirements of the state.
• Organize and schedule the foster/adoptive parent(s) Pre-service training program. Organization of Pre-service training includes arranging presenters, locating/scheduling meeting sites, notifying attendees.
• Conducts training sessions and assures that the content and required number of training hours is provided according to SAFY policy and state regulations.
• Complete all elements of the licensing process for each parent/home that successfully completes all phases of training within 90 days.

Compliance/Reporting

• Timely data entry and case notes entered into tracking system weekly.
• Compliance with monthly and quarterly requirements as defined annually by QI plan.
• Submit reports needed for corrective action to Treatment Director.
• Complete process for the recertification of assigned foster homes on a timely basis as specified in the applicable licensing regulations.

Other

• Establish and maintain a positive working relationship, sensitive and responsive to the cultural differences with all levels of SAFY staff, clients, families and vendors.
• Ability to work flexible hours daily/weekly to fulfill position duties; may include evenings and/or weekends.
• Ability to maintain confidential and sensitive information.
• Other duties or special projects as assigned.

What You Bring

We are looking for people from diverse backgrounds and experiences who are inspired by our noble mission to make a difference in the lives of the children and families in our care. You’ll be right at home if you are willing to learn from successes as well as setbacks, persevere in challenges and adversity, cultivate collaborative relationships, understand and leverage diversity, advocate for equity, aspire to work inclusively, and partner to drive your work and that of your team to the next level.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in social work or a human services field.
• Two years of relevant experience in client and/or community engagement.
• Excellent communication skills (oral and written) as well comfort with public speaking and facilitation of groups.
• Strong interpersonal and relationship building skills.
• Self-motivated, tenacious and driven to accomplish goals.
• Proven team player with a willingness to help others as needed.
• Resolution focused.
• Strong organizational skills to prioritize workload.
• Attention to detail and accuracy and ability to multitask.
• Ability to operate a computer with Microsoft Office, other software, agency databases and online systems.
• Acceptable driving record and auto insurance coverage to meet travel requirements.
• Previous experience in child welfare.

What We Offer

• Targeted hiring range: $45,000.00 to $62,000.00
  • Compensation is commensurate with transferrable experience, education and licensure of candidate, location of the position, along with internal equity and budgeted amount for the role.
• Comprehensive benefit plan options including Medical, Dental, Vision, Disability, Life Insurance, Flexible Spending and Health Savings account options to meet your needs
• 401(k) Retirement plan with company match
• 10 paid holidays & up to 3 floating holidays per year, generous sick & vacation time and an additional day off for your birthday
• All regular full and part time staff are eligible for quarterly and/or annual bonuses
• Tuition Reimbursement up to $5,000 each year
• CEU Reimbursement up to $1,000 each year
• On demand access to earned wages through Zayzoon
• Gain leadership skills, develop your clinical expertise, or earn CEUs with access to over 1,000 courses on our learning platform or through our talented in-house training department
• Clinical Supervision Reimbursement up to $300 per month
• Employee Assistance Program with 6 free visits per year
• Free Financial Advisor Services
• Support Services for alternative Health Insurance and benefit credit reimbursement options
• Employee and Foster Parent Referral bonus program
• Leave donation program
• Adoption Assistance
• Mileage reimbursement
• Your choice of company paid cell phone or phone stipend

SAFY is proud to be an equal employment opportunity employer and is committed to maintaining a non-discriminatory work environment. SAFY does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, gender, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, arrest record, conviction record, or any other personal characteristic protected by applicable law. This policy covers all programs, services, policies, and procedures of SAFY, including recruiting, hiring, training, promotion, and administering all personnel actions, such as compensation, benefits, transfers, layoffs or terminations.