Kinship Care & Permanency Specialist

Depelchin; Texas; On-site; USD 42,000 - 66,000; Full time

Job summary

Texans Together seeks a Kinship Specialist to engage relatives and fictive kin, assess needs, and coordinate resources for children in the welfare system. You will work with caregivers, caseworkers, schools, and community partners to promote stability, permanency, and family well-being.

The role emphasizes strengths-based, trauma-informed practice, confidential documentation, and participation in planning meetings.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required. Relevant experience considered in lieu of education requirement.
• Minimum two (2) years’ experience in child welfare, foster care, kinship care, family preservation, family support services, case management, or a related human services field

Responsibilities

• Identifies, engages, and supports relatives and fictive kin as potential placement and permanency resources for children and youth.
• Builds trusting relationships with kinship caregivers through respectful, family-centered, and strengths-based engagement
• Assesses caregiver strengths, needs, barriers, and available support to promote placement stability and positive outcomes for children and youth
• Provides information regarding financial assistance, benefits, community resources, and available support services for kinship caregivers
• Assists caregivers in developing plans that strengthen stability, safety, permanency, and family well-being
• Collaborates with children, families, caregivers, caseworkers, providers, schools, and community organizations to coordinate services and address identified needs
• Supports kinship caregivers in navigating child welfare processes, accessing resources, and understanding available services
• Encourages caregiver participation in case planning, permanency planning, family group conferences, and other decision-making activities that impact children and youth
• Promotes and supports family connections, sibling relationships, cultural identity, and lifelong supportive relationships whenever appropriate
• Connects caregivers with community-based supports, educational resources, training opportunities, support groups, and services that strengthen caregiver capacity
• Assists in identifying and addressing barriers impacting placement stability, caregiver well-being, and child permanency outcomes
• Participates in staffing, permanency planning meetings, multidisciplinary meetings, and other collaborative activities as needed
• Maintains accurate and timely documentation of contacts, assessments, referrals, services, and outcomes
• Monitors referrals and follows up on service recommendations to ensure caregivers receive needed support
• Maintains confidentiality and safeguards sensitive client information in accordance with agency policy and applicable regulations

Skills

Kinship care knowledge

Verbal & written communication

Assessment & planning

Resource coordination

Relationship building

Microsoft Office

IMPACT

Electronic case management systems

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

IMPACT

Electronic case management systems

Job description

Texans Together seeks a Kinship Specialist to engage relatives and fictive kin, assess needs, and coordinate resources for children in the welfare system. You will work with caregivers, caseworkers, schools, and community partners to promote stability, permanency, and family well-being.

The role emphasizes strengths-based, trauma-informed practice, confidential documentation, and participation in planning meetings.