Improving the quality of life for the children in need by participating in the development, delivery, and evaluation of all phases of the services offered through the agency’s Caregiver Education Program.

FamilyForward is committed to upholding the Organizational Health Anchors that we have set for the agency, including safety; mindfulness and self-regulation; relational health; cultural diversity, inclusivity, equity, and anti-racism; clinical lens; vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue.

What puts FamilyForward Out Front:

• Get paid to change lives and reshape communities.
• Strong peer support with a focus on teamwork.
• Paid time-off for Agency Wellness Week (December 25th to December 31st annually)
• Emphasis on professional learning, growth, and development
• The diversity of the position gives you opportunities for new experiences.

How we wholeheartedly take care of our people:

• Competitive pay & benefits package includes:
  • Medical, dental, and vision coverage for you and your family
  • Optional short-term disability
  • Virtual medical and mental health care coverage
  • Employee Assistance Program counseling services
  • Pre-tax medical Flexible Spending Accounts
  • Health Reimbursement Account for deductible expenses over $1000 individual; $2000 for families
  • 3% dollar for dollar company-matched 403(b) retirement savings account
  • Company-paid long-term disability and life insurance
• 10 paid holidays, including 2 floating holidays for religious/cultural celebrations
• Wellness Week paid time off December 25th 31st annually
• Paid vacation time and health and wellness leave
• Education assistance program
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness eligible employer
• National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Eligible Site
• Member and active participant in the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce
• Diversity Awareness Partnership Non-Profit Partner

What to expect on a given day as a Family Development Specialist:

• You will provide foster and /or adoptive home assessments for clients interested in becoming approved by the Children’s Division for foster care or adoption; provide written report including the trainer’s conclusions regarding the family’s appropriateness.
• You will lead support groups, and discussion groups for foster, and adoptive parents, adoptive-parents -to-be, as well as kinship providers, and bio parents.
• You will provide support services to trainers who lead lectures and interactive classroom discussions with families preparing to foster and/or adopt a child, or families already fostering or having adopted a child.
• You will participate in community education forums that focus on adoption, foster care, bonding, and attachment.
• You will assist with the development of new agency programs/curriculums to meet community needs.
• You will assist with the review and evaluation of ongoing agency programs.
• You will accept cases from other programs and be an informed agency advocate.
• You will open and maintain current records on all clients in accordance with agency policies, and procedures for treatment.
• You will keep statistical accounts of caseloads by month.
• You will maintain a working knowledge of the resources available to families both in the agency, and throughout the community.
• You will represent the agency in the community by participating in inter-agency functions, and other community, and social services functions.

You would be a good fit for this position if you:

• Have graduate training in social work or related field; bachelor’s degree with a minimum of five years of experience in child welfare.
• Have a minimum of 2 years’ experience in the foster care and/or adoption field or other child welfare area.
• Have a car, and the ability to drive to homes and training locations in and around a 50 mile radius of the office.
• Are flexible in work hours, often outside of typical 9-5.
• Have a knowledge of development trauma and appropriate interventions.
• Have a working knowledge of the local child welfare system; the ability to build collaborative relationships.
• Are eligible to train the MOCares and Commitment to Adoption curricula.
• Have a license in social services, desired but not required.
• Are eligible to provide in-service training as recognized by the Missouri Department of Social Services Children’s Division, desired but not required.
• Are a Foster/adoptive parent with the ability to be a trainer and/or co-trainer for the delivery of MOCares curriculum, desired but not required.