Foster Care Specialist

Brightpoint; Rockford (IL); Hybrid; USD 54,361 - 59,361; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical/dental/vision insurance

3+ weeks PTO first year

11 paid holidays

401(k) with match

PSLF eligibility

Job summary

Brightpoint is seeking a Foster Care Specialist to join our Illinois team. You will provide trauma-informed case management for families involved with DCFS, focusing on reunification and permanency planning.

The role blends in-office and field work across Winnebago and surrounding counties. The position emphasizes collaboration with families, service providers, and courts, including documentation, reporting, and engagement to support child well-being and safety.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in social work or related field required.
• CWEL, CERAP, and CANS certification required or ability to obtain within 90 days of hire.
• Valid driver’s license and reliable vehicle required. Experience with collaborative, strength-based services preferred.

Responsibilities

• Manage a reduced caseload of families under DCFS care due to indicated abuse/neglect.
• Assess strengths, needs, and natural support systems with families.
• Develop reunification, permanency, or ongoing family connections plans.
• Provide trauma-informed case management and service planning with documentation and billing.
• Prepare court reports and testify in relevant proceedings.
• Plan home visits and coordinate with agencies and service providers.

Skills

Collaborative work

Trauma-informed care

Case management

Community engagement

Attend in-person meetings

Strong driving record

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work or related field

Job description

Brightpoint invites you to join our team of mission‑driven staff who share a common vision: an equitable world where all children and families thrive in strong communities. As a leader in the human services sector for 140 years, we aim to advance the well‑being of children by investing in families and strengthening communities through data‑informed, collaborative, and preventative solutions.

Foster Care Specialist

is a critical member of the region’s child welfare team, working collaboratively within and across programs to ensure a relentless focus on keeping children safe and supporting families, consistent with our agency's Blueprint of Impact, which includes replacing what we currently think of as child welfare services with what we know to be child, family, and community well‑being solutions. As a Foster Care Specialist, you will gain experience in collaborating with families who have an indicated report of abuse or neglect to work towards a safe reunification or an alternative permanency plan to ensure the wellbeing of every child. Your daily routine will involve providing comprehensive and trauma‑informed case management services to a reduced case load of families involved in the child welfare system and providing supplemental services to families assigned to Advanced and Lead Specialists. Case management services include assessing the safety and needs of children and families, engaging biological families to assist them in strengthening their parenting skills and knowledge, providing support to foster families to ensure the needs of the foster children are consistently and appropriately met, establishing collaborative relationships with service providers and institutions that play a role in the family’s situation, monitoring biological families’ efforts and progress towards goals aimed at family reunification and providing testimony in the Juvenile Court System regarding the best interest of children and families. With support from your supervisor and the Lead Specialist on your team, you will be supported in developing the required competencies to be promoted into an Advanced Specialist position within 6‑12 months of hire.

Candidate Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work or a closely related field required.
• Child Welfare Employee License (CWEL), Child Endangerment Risk Assessment Protocol (CERAP), and Child Abuse and Neglect (CANS) certification required, or the ability to obtain within 90 days of hire.
• Experience providing collaborative, strength‑based services to kids and families preferred.
• Ability to attend in‑person meetings and events as needed required.
• Valid driver’s license, insurance, and a reliable vehicle required.

What You’ll Do

• Manage a reduced caseload of families with children in the care of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) due to an indicated investigation of abuse or neglect.
• Partner with families to assess strengths, needs, and natural support systems.
• Collaborate with families and support networks to develop solutions that promote reunification, permanency, or ongoing family connections.
• Provide comprehensive and consistent engagement with family, including needs assessments, service planning, coordination, child safety monitoring, resource referrals, and progress tracking.
• Participate in required meetings with agencies, community providers, and other systems to support family goals.
• Prepare and present court reports, attend hearings, and testify on behalf of the child’s and family’s best interests.
• Plan home visits, including scheduled and unannounced visits, in alignment with best practices and policy.
• Address safety concerns and report suspected abuse or neglect to DCFS in compliance with the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act.
• Maintain accurate documentation, records, and billing in accordance with program requirements.

Job Details

• Compensation: $54,361/annual fixed salary ($59,361/annual fixed salary for qualified English/Spanish bilingual candidates). The salary range provided represents our current estimate for this role at the time of posting and is subject to change. The final salary will be determined based on a range of factors, including but not limited to a candidate’s relevant experience, education, qualifications, skills, certifications, and alignment with organizational needs. We are dedicated to fair and equitable compensation practices and are committed to fostering a diverse workforce while providing equal opportunities for all candidates.
• Additional Compensation: A $3,000 CWEL Stay Bonus payable in two installments: $1,500 after 6 months of consecutive employment and $1,500 after 12 months of consecutive employment. Eligibility for the bonus is contingent upon the role requiring the CWEL certification.
• Opportunity for Promotion: Eligibility for promotion into an Advanced Specialist role within 6‑12 months of hire which includes a salary increase.
• Benefits: Medical/dental/vision insurance, 3+ weeks paid time off in the first year including the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day (PTO increases with tenure); 11 paid holidays, supplemental insurance options, 401(k) with match (more benefits details here).
• Location: Hybrid (remote/in office); majority of your time will be spent in Winnebago, Boone and surrounding counties completing home visits to foster homes or meeting with clients in an agency office or community setting, with other opportunities to complete service documentation and other case coordination from your preferred location (in office, or remotely).
• Schedule: Full-time, salaried; general business hours with some flexibility required for accommodating client’s schedules and special projects. On call responsibilities on a shared rotation.

• We don’t just hire talent—we grow it: Emerging Leaders will have access to leadership development opportunities and one‑on‑one mentorship.
• Student Loan Forgiveness: Brightpoint is an approved agency for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF).