Family Finding and Resource Specialist

Bethany for Children & Families is searching for a resourceful and creative person to fill a brand new position as a Family Finding and Resource Specialist in our Illinois Foster Care program! If you are looking for an opportunity to make a difference every day in our community, this is the position for you!

The Family Finding and Resource Specialist works to locate and engage adult relatives and fictive kin for children entering the foster care system, establishing a lifelong safety net. This position will play a key role in helping youth in foster care connect with relatives, fictive kin, and other trusted adults who can offer stability and love. The Family Finding and Resource Specialist will also support recruitment and training of foster parents while partnering closely with case workers to expand placement options for youth with complex needs.

The ideal candidate would have an investigative curiosity to find and engage family members, and the relational skills to build trust with youth and caregivers. This role is perfect for someone who enjoys the 'hunt' for information and has the resilience to turn a 'no' answer from a distant relative into a 'yes' answer for a child.

Annual Base Salary: $55,036.80

Benefits That’ll Make You Smile

We believe in taking care of our team so they can take care of others. That’s why we offer:

• Competitive Compensation,
• Twelve (12) days of vacation earned during the first year of employment with an increased tier-system upon meeting year three,
• Eight (8) days of sick earned during the first year of employment with an increased tier-system upon meeting year three,
• Eleven (11) paid holidays,
• Agency contributions of a 3% base with up to an additional 3% match calculated on bi-weekly earnings to a 403(b) Thrift Plan (retirement plan) starting the first of the month after the first 90 days of employment,
• Health insurance,
• Dental insurance,
• Vision insurance (100% employer-paid premiums),
• Group Life Insurance; Basic Life and Basic AD&D (100% employer-paid premiums),
• Options of employee-paid premiums for voluntary supplemental insurance offered, and
• An Educational Aid program.

What You'll Be Doing as a Family Finding and Resource Specialist:

• Assist the family case worker with facilitating the expansion of resources needed to serve children and their families involved in foster care.
• Interview families and assess placement potential and support systems.
• Use genograms, eco-maps, social media, and databases to identify connections.
• Serve as a liaison for youth transitioning to new placements.
• Support foster family recruitment through targeted outreach and events.
• Assist with training and guiding potential foster parents and relatives.
• Collaborate with case workers, family teams, and community providers.
• Apply trauma-informed, family-centered, and equity-based practices in all work. 
• Understand implicit bias and its role in placement decisions.
• Attend meetings, training, and community engagement events as needed.
• Do extensive outreach in locating absentee parents.
• Provide professional technical assistance and resource development support to casework staff who serve children with specialized and problematic behavior service needs.
• Drive to various locations to attend meetings, conferences, or family homes for assessments as needed.
• Have the ability to engage the youth (as age-appropriate), birth parents, family and social connections, foster parents, and staff to facilitate and support stability and permanency for the youth.
• Possess strong, creative, problem-solving skills and uses a variety of search and engagement strategies to identify and locate family members and supportive connections.
• Have strong data analysis skills needed to conduct diligent search activities across multiple databases, systems, social media, and other websites. In addition, will complete required forms and SACWIS documentation, send written correspondence, and log/track data for use by the foster care team.
• Serve as a team member within the multidisciplinary team or Child and Family Team Meeting consisting of case manager, supervisor, foster parents, birth parents and youth to facilitate connections between newly found family/fictive kin members, supports, and other collateral resources to resolve complex and stalled cases to improve permanency outcomes.

What We'd Love to See in You:

• A bachelor’s degree in social work, human services, psychology, or related field required.
• Relevant experience in child welfare, case management, family services, or crisis intervention; experience working with high-risk families preferred.
• The ability to work effectively in high-stress, safety-sensitive situations involving child safety concerns.
• The ability to provide own transportation in performing job requirements, including a valid driver’s license and acceptable auto insurance coverage.
• The ability to meet the eligibility requirements for the Family Finding and Resource Specialist position as assigned by the contracting state department.
• The ability to work a flexible schedule, including evenings, nights, and weekends, based upon family needs.
• Sensitivity and responsiveness to cultural differences in the community.
• The ability to effectively communicate orally and in writing and meet all reporting requirements. 
• Commitment to the agency’s vision, mission, philosophy, structure, and goals with an ability to work as part of a treatment team.
• The ability to lift thirty (30) pounds and climb stairs.
• The ability to carry car seats to and from the office and children’s home.
• The ability to physically attend to young children and infants.
• The ability to fulfill all of the regulatory requirements for employees of Child Welfare Agencies as are prescribed in Illinois Administrative Rule and Procedure, including successfully completing the background check investigation clearances from the Sex Offender Registry, SACWIS, Illinois State Police, FBI, and Federal Office of the Inspector General as well as certification as a driver of children by the Illinois DCFS.

Ready to Make a Difference?

We can’t wait to meet you! Apply today and become part of a team that’s all about protecting children, strengthening families, and building brighter futures in our community.

Equal Opportunity Employer

We celebrate diversity and are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic.