Foster Care Licensing Specialist - Bradenton, FL area

FOSTER CARE LICENSING SPECIALIST

JOB IDENTIFICATION INFORMATION

Department: Foster Care

Direct Supervisor: Supervisor of Foster Care or Director of Foster Care

Hiring Manager(s): Director of Foster Care or Regional Senior Director of Foster Care

Hiring Approver: Regional Senior Director of Foster Care or Executive Director of Foster Care

Classification: Full-time

FLSA Status: Exempt (Salary)

Version Date: January 2025

HR Approval Date: January 2025

JOB SUMMARY

The Licensing Specialist plays a pivotal role in serving children and families in need through the Foster Care licensing program of One More Child. The Licensing Specialist will support the care and development of abused, neglected, and orphaned children by recruiting, licensing, and re-licensing foster parents and will provide on-going training and support to those licensed foster parents. The LS travels throughout their assigned area, connecting with potential foster parents, acting as the point of contact and managing the licensing of foster parents, and owning that family file as long as assigned. This position requires flexibility, ability to work nights and weekends, outside of regular business hours, and to occasionally be on call for child placement.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND FUNCTIONS

• Meet and maintain the One More Child caseload standards and goals.
• Recruit Christian foster homes that meet or exceed the quality standards of the program.
• Represent OMC at booths/speaking events as well as internal meetings as requested
• Provide foster families and/or ensure foster families are linked with opportunities to receive all necessary training and to ensure that training is complete, current, and compliant with program standards.
• License and relicense all Foster Homes on the caseload in a timely manner.
• Visit Foster Homes quarterly and as needed to ensure Foster Care quality standards are met and to comply with local CBC/DCF expectations.
• Ensure that every child placed in an OMC foster home for 30 days or more has a documented exposure to the Gospel.
• Provide general support for all OMC Foster Families and to assist with providing 24-hour on-call support/coverage to the families, which includes, but is not limited to, answering/returning calls related to placements and emergency support requests in a timely manner.
• Coordinate placements and discharges for foster clients and to ensure at least 70% utilization of available placement beds.
• Maintain updated case records, files, and database records in a timely and efficient manner.
• Participate in continuing education opportunities to ensure that all training requirements for certification as well as those required by OMC, statutes/administrative codes, and/or the local CBC/DCF are fulfilled annually.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

• N/A

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in social work or a comparable human service field. Bachelor’s degrees in other fields from accredited colleges/universities can be considered on a case-by-case basis but must meet the eligibility requirements for CWLC/CWCM/CWCPI certification.
• CWLC (Child Welfare Licensing Counselor), CWCM, or CWCPI full certification through the Florida

Certification Board is required within one (1) year of completion of pre-service training with passed post-test within two attempts.

• Two years social work experience, preferably in family foster care or kinship care.
• Valid State Driver’s License within 30 days of hire.

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

• Already have a CWLC, CWCM, or CWCPI certification through the Florida Certification Board

COMPENTENCIES

• Present oneself, both at and outside of work, in a manner keeping with One More Child’s Core Values of Humble, Hungry, Wise, and Called.
• Strong customer services skills with the innate ability to recognize one’s customer and to respond accordingly.
• Ability to establish and nurture trusting and supportive relationships.
• Ability to communicate effectively with a diverse group of people, in varying settings and often during challenging life circumstances.
• Strong attention to detail regarding completing quality and timely case file reports.
• Strong writing, grammatical and punctuation skills.
• Ability to effectively prioritize and shift gears when necessary to meet changing circumstances.
• Excellent time management skills with the ability to manage multiple responsibilities and non- negotiable deadlines while traveling extensively.
• Good understanding of healthy family dynamics, conflict resolution, problem solving, interpersonal relationship skills and child development.
• Ability to relate positively to families needing support services and have the ability to establish nurturing, positive relationships.
• Ability to assess needs and determine suitability of referrals/placements.
• Ability to observe and make accurate assessments of situations.
• Ability to work with frequent interruptions and in stressful situations; ability to respond in crisis situations.
• Ability to engage in public speaking and make presentations.

SPIRITUAL QUALIFICATIONS

• It is the mission of One More Child to provide Christ centered services to vulnerable children and struggling families. As stated in the Second Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation, One More Child provides these services in a Christian context consistent with The Baptist Faith and Message (2000). Employees of One More Child commit to live in a manner that is not contrary to this foundational statement of faith.
• Have had a personal conversion experience with Jesus Christ and been scripturally baptized.
• Possess a sense of commitment to ministry through vocation.
• Hold a sincere desire to seek God and His kingdom.
• Demonstrate personal and devotional habits and practices such as Bible study, prayer, and daily meditation.
• Be a member of a New Testament, evangelical Church in the local community and attend regularly.
• Engage in witness activities as a normal part of life.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

These physical requirements are not exhaustive, and One More Child may add additional job-related physical demands to these if the need arises. Corrective devices may be used to meet these physical requirements.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, talk, and/or listen. The employee is required to use hands to grasp, reach and complete clerical duties, which include, but are not limited to filing, typing, and data entry.

Additionally, as this is an in-field position, with no guarantee of accessibility, the employee must be able to walk into locations, climb stairs, and navigate crowded settings. Specific vision abilities required include close vision and the ability to drive/operate a motor vehicle, driving for extended periods. Standing for extended periods for events or engagements and the ability to move from place to place is necessary. Must be able lift up to 50 pounds (boxes, documents, and equipment) for events and foster families.

This job requires the ability to work in stressful environments, think clearly under pressure, as well as after-hours work (e.g., evenings, weekends, holidays, etc.) as part of the regular work schedule.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment describes the conditions that an employee may encounter when performing their job duties, including but not limited to, the essential functions of the position. Reasonable accommodation may be available to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these duties.

Job functions are performed in a variety of settings, including office, public s (churches/conference centers/etc.) and private settings (e.g., the homes of foster families.). Office locations and situations vary. The position requires considerable flexibility in scheduling and travelling throughout the area.

DISCLAIMER

This job description is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of the requirements of this position, but to describe the general nature of the job and provide a reasonable representation of its activities. Additional related work may be identified and assigned by the organization and included as an area of responsibility while assessing performance.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT

One More Child is committed to a workplace environment that encourages growth and respect for all current and prospective employees based upon job-related factors such as their educational background, work experience, and ability to perform the essential functions of a particular job. It is the policy and practice of One More Child to prohibit any form of discrimination or harassment based on statuses protected under federal, state, or local laws which are applicable to the organization. As a religious organization, One More Child provides services in a Christian context consistent with The Baptist Faith and Message (2000). Employees of One More Child commit to live in a manner that is not contrary to this foundational statement of faith.