What are the responsibilities and job description for the Foster Community Engagement Specialist position at Growing Hope?
Description
Job Title: Foster Community Engagement Specialist
FLSA Status: Full-Time/Salaried/Exempt
Reports To: Director of Family Support & Engagement
Location: Hybrid/Columbia area
Position Summary
The Foster Community Engagement Specialist leads Growing Hope’s efforts to strengthen community awareness, family recruitment, and engagement by centering lived expertise in the foster care system in driving the word forward. This position requires lived experience as a child or youth in foster care and uses that insight to connect, inspire, and guide both community members and professionals in understanding the needs and opportunities for communities and foster care agencies to bridge deep and sustainable relationships.
As a key member of the Family Support & Engagement team, the Foster Community Engagement Specialist works to build awareness and drive community conversations about foster care across South Carolina, reaching new groups and areas, and ultimately recruit, educate, and support community members in forging relationships with Growing Hope, through fostering and/or philanthropic support. This role blends strategic outreach, training, and systems change, ensuring that lived expertise is not only represented but integrated into every aspect of Growing Hope’s internal policies and practices as well as community engagement and family support strategies.
Why This Role Matters
Every child deserves a family who believes in them, and foster care agencies need communities to partner, support, and be part of the solution to the foster care crisis. The Foster Community Engagement Specialist bridges that gap. By using lived experience to shape messaging, guide recruitment strategies, and inform policy, this position ensures Growing Hope’s approach is deeply human, culturally responsive, and rooted in understanding.
Your work will directly impact how communities view foster care, how families are recruited and supported, and how children experience care. You will serve as a voice, a connector, and a catalyst for change, helping transform the child welfare system into one that listens, learns, and leads with lived expertise.
Key Responsibilities
$52,000-$54,000 depending on experience
Location and Work Environment
This position is hybrid, combining community-based engagement, remote collaboration, and in-office work. The Foster Community Engagement Specialist will travel throughout the state to host events, connect with families, facilitate youth groups, and represent Growing Hope at community gatherings. Evening and weekend availability required.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
Growing Hope is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to building a diverse team and strongly encourage applications from all backgrounds to apple. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, gender, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other protected status.
Physical Demands and Work Environment
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodation may be made for individuals with disabilities to perform these functions.
Note: Neither this nor any other policy of the Agency creates a contractual commitment.
This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee(s) of this position. All duties and responsibilities are essential functions and requirements and are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities.
The requirements listed in this document are the minimum levels of knowledge, skills, or abilities. This document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise, other than an at-will relationship.
The company is a drug-free workplace and complies with ADA regulations as applicable.
Requirements
Minimum Qualifications
Job Title: Foster Community Engagement Specialist
FLSA Status: Full-Time/Salaried/Exempt
Reports To: Director of Family Support & Engagement
Location: Hybrid/Columbia area
Position Summary
The Foster Community Engagement Specialist leads Growing Hope’s efforts to strengthen community awareness, family recruitment, and engagement by centering lived expertise in the foster care system in driving the word forward. This position requires lived experience as a child or youth in foster care and uses that insight to connect, inspire, and guide both community members and professionals in understanding the needs and opportunities for communities and foster care agencies to bridge deep and sustainable relationships.
As a key member of the Family Support & Engagement team, the Foster Community Engagement Specialist works to build awareness and drive community conversations about foster care across South Carolina, reaching new groups and areas, and ultimately recruit, educate, and support community members in forging relationships with Growing Hope, through fostering and/or philanthropic support. This role blends strategic outreach, training, and systems change, ensuring that lived expertise is not only represented but integrated into every aspect of Growing Hope’s internal policies and practices as well as community engagement and family support strategies.
Why This Role Matters
Every child deserves a family who believes in them, and foster care agencies need communities to partner, support, and be part of the solution to the foster care crisis. The Foster Community Engagement Specialist bridges that gap. By using lived experience to shape messaging, guide recruitment strategies, and inform policy, this position ensures Growing Hope’s approach is deeply human, culturally responsive, and rooted in understanding.
Your work will directly impact how communities view foster care, how families are recruited and supported, and how children experience care. You will serve as a voice, a connector, and a catalyst for change, helping transform the child welfare system into one that listens, learns, and leads with lived expertise.
Key Responsibilities
- Community Engagement & Awareness
- Build public understanding of the need for foster families by developing and delivering compelling stories, presentations, and events that reflect lived experiences and real community needs.
- Represent Growing Hope at community events, faith-based gatherings, civic groups, and neighborhood organizations to expand awareness and build trust.
- Develop creative strategies to reach underrepresented families and communities, particularly in areas with the highest need for foster care placements.
- Build strong relationships with community partners, faith leaders, and local organizations to drive engagement, collaboration, and shared ownership of child welfare outcomes.
- Coordinate engagement efforts that lead to measurable outcomes, including increased foster family applications, inquiries, and community donations.
- Integration of Lived Expertise (LE)
- Champion the role of lived expertise across Growing Hope, ensuring that policies, practices, and communications reflect the insights of those with lived experience.
- Facilitate learning sessions and staff trainings on applying lived expertise to family recruitment, service delivery, and youth engagement.
- Support team members through ongoing coaching and consultation to strengthen their ability to partner effectively with youth and families.
- Collaborate with leadership to develop resources, tools, and materials that uplift youth and family voices in everyday practice.
- Contribute to internal committees or working groups that advance Growing Hope’s equity and inclusion goals through a lived experience lens.
- Youth Leadership & Support
- Develop and lead youth connection groups that create space for belonging, healing, and leadership among young people currently or formerly in care.
- Empower youth to share their experiences in ways that inform community understanding and influence systemic change.
- Partner with program staff to embed youth input into decision-making processes, including placement matching, policy development, and program design.
- Serve as a bridge between youth and staff, helping translate lived perspectives into actionable improvements in service and support.
- Innovation & Program Development
- Lead or co-design innovative community initiatives that pilot new approaches to family recruitment, youth engagement, and community awareness.
- Seek and identify grant opportunities that elevate the role of lived expertise and expand community engagement capacity.
- Collaborate across departments to test, document, and scale new models for connecting families, youth, and communities.
- Serve as a thought partner in developing new training content, marketing campaigns, or digital resources that reflect youth and family perspectives.
- Data-Informed Community Strategy
- Review demographic and program data regularly to ensure that outreach efforts are targeted and equitable.
- Use data and community feedback to shape recruitment goals, evaluate impact, and refine engagement approaches.
- Partner with internal teams to ensure that family recruitment and retention strategies align with local needs and reflect the lived realities of youth in care.
- Support transparent reporting and storytelling that demonstrate the measurable impact of lived expertise in action.
- Perform all other duties as assigned
- Support organizational events, family recruitment campaigns, and cross-department collaborations as needed.
- Serve as an ambassador of Growing Hope’s mission, modeling compassion, courage, and collaboration in all interactions.
- Required: Personal lived expertise as a child or youth who has experienced the foster care system.
- Bachelor’s degree in social work, human services, communications, or related field.
- Two or more years of experience in child welfare program delivery.
- Demonstrated ability to build trust, inspire participation, and work collaboratively across diverse communities.
- Experience in public speaking, facilitation, or training.
- Deep understanding of child welfare systems, foster care processes, and the experiences of children, youth, and families navigating care.
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to engage both families and professionals effectively.
- Skilled in community partnership development, event planning, and grassroots outreach.
- Demonstrated ability to translate lived experience into actionable insights and program design.
- Proficient in using data and storytelling to drive engagement and inform decision-making.
- Excellent organizational, time management, and follow-through skills.
- Strong writing and presentation skills for both professional and community audiences.
- Valid driver’s license and reliable transportation required.
- Must successfully pass background and DMV checks per Growing Hope policy.
- Availability for occasional evenings and weekends to attend community events.
- Commitment to Growing Hope’s mission, values, and belief that lived expertise is central to system transformation.
$52,000-$54,000 depending on experience
Location and Work Environment
This position is hybrid, combining community-based engagement, remote collaboration, and in-office work. The Foster Community Engagement Specialist will travel throughout the state to host events, connect with families, facilitate youth groups, and represent Growing Hope at community gatherings. Evening and weekend availability required.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
Growing Hope is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to building a diverse team and strongly encourage applications from all backgrounds to apple. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, gender, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other protected status.
Physical Demands and Work Environment
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodation may be made for individuals with disabilities to perform these functions.
Note: Neither this nor any other policy of the Agency creates a contractual commitment.
This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee(s) of this position. All duties and responsibilities are essential functions and requirements and are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities.
The requirements listed in this document are the minimum levels of knowledge, skills, or abilities. This document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise, other than an at-will relationship.
The company is a drug-free workplace and complies with ADA regulations as applicable.
Requirements
Minimum Qualifications
- Required: Personal lived expertise as a child or youth who has experienced the foster care system.
- Bachelor’s degree in social work, human services, communications, or related field.
- Two or more years of experience in child welfare program delivery.
- Demonstrated ability to build trust, inspire participation, and work collaboratively across diverse communities.
- Experience in public speaking, facilitation, or training.
Salary : $52,000 - $54,000