Inquiry Coordinator - Temporary Position

Description

DEPARTMENT SUMMARY: 

Holt International carries out child welfare, family preservation and family strengthening programs and domestic and intercountry adoption in over 15 countries throughout the world. The Programs and Services Department serves more than 1,500,000 children, family members and other individual with family strengthening services, orphans care and adoption services. There are approximately 190 children placed with international adoptive families each year. Managed by U.S. and in-country staff, these programs and services are carried out in close cooperation with partner agencies, orphanages and other child service providers, government child welfare agencies, local and regional officials, funding agencies, and others. The program continuously evaluates opportunities to expand or deepen program services in these countries while maintaining high standards of quality and transparency for sustainable development and child welfare impact.

POSITION SUMMARY: 

Represents Holt International’s programs and services. Ensures that a family’s first contacts with Holt adequately reflect the agency’s commitment to personal and timely services and supports and the agency’s goal of finding families for children who are in need of adoption services. Conducts preliminary assessment of strengths and factors which affect eligibility. Follows the inquiry and onboarding process for Holt International, which includes communication with Program Directors, branch and cooperating agency social workers, inquiry and intake staff and contributing to creation of adoption information material. Provides education and resources for prospective adoptive families to ensure families understand the current profile of child available for intercountry adoption. Maintains breadth and depth of knowledge to ensure families receive current information on child profile and all adoption services provided by Holt International. Ensures consistent follow up with prospective adoptive families considering submitting an application.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

1. Enhances Holt’s response to prospective adoptive applicants by following systems to initiate personal and timely contact with prospective adoptive families and responding to families during their first contacts that illustrates Holt’s focus and commitment to personalized service throughout their process. Ensures referral for direct services and invoicing occurs in a timely manner.
2. Follows up with families and provides data to determine why families have not returned a paid application to Holt. Follows processes to categorize this information, makes recommendations to improve services and enhance efficiencies to increase conversions of deferred applications to paid applications.
3. Provides information about current profile of children available for international adoption by sharing information about the profile of child from each country program, context on why these children need international adoption to provide permanency. Educates families on how to best meet the needs of children with complex social and/or medical histories and support families through their process of determining their eligibility for specific countries and ability to meet the needs of the children available for adoption in that country. 
4. Increase volume of applications for waiting children by coordinating with Waiting Child Program to review and identify deferred applications and engage families on personal level to identify a waiting child (or waiting child profile) that might be appropriate. 
5. Ensures accuracy of data and documents utilized by inquiry, branch and adoption services staff to improve consistency and messaging for the recruitment of families
6. Works closely with the adoption staff and branches to ensure the highest level of services to prospective adoptive parents and provide appropriate information to families inquiring with Holt about adoption. Track families progress in completing the first phase of adoption processing.
7. Assures intake of applicants that can successfully complete adoption through Holt by assessing applicant’s program eligibility, compliance with USCIS requirements and other issues that are barriers to placement of a child. Assessment of appropriateness to adopt including issues related to physical and mental health, criminal or abuse history, and the understanding of the profile of child available for adoption. Seeks consultation with supervisor in evaluating complicated eligibility issues. Assists applicant in determining which country programs or adoption services are most appropriate for their family.
8. Maintains awareness of all intercountry adoption programs at Holt to ensure the appropriate number and type of applications and received throughout the year.   
9. Hosts informational sessions in person or virtually to inform prospective adoptive families about Holt’s adoption services and program options.
10. Inputs data entry of applications into Holt’s database. Works collaboratively to assist with other data entry tasks.
11. Provides administrative support to Holt’s Inquiry Department. Assists with report maintenance.
12. Contributes to team effort by exhibiting cooperative and effective work relationships, such as, responding positively to challenges, assignments, inter and intra departmental requests; seeing beyond own tasks to help fulfill the organizational goals. 
13. Contributes to a positive, productive work environment by meeting attendance and punctuality guidelines and pre-arranging time off with appropriate notice; being aware of and following established company policies; treating all people with dignity and respect; exhibiting good listening and comprehension skills including giving and welcoming feedback. 

IMPACT OF RESULTS: Contributes to efforts to increase the number of appropriate applications returned to Holt. Maximizes family recruitment efforts by outreach to Holt’s partner agencies and adoptive parents. Ensures a family’s first contacts with Holt are positive.  

SUCCESS FACTORS:

This position maintains timely communication and support to adoptive families. Develops and maintains effective relationships with Adoption Service Directors, Branch Offices and Supervised and Exempt Providers. Works effectively with colleagues and families. Presents data in an organized manner to track targets and results. Promotes understanding of adoption related issues through communication with families. Promote public’s understanding about child profile available for adoption from each country including older children and children with special needs.

Requirements

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE (MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS): 

High school diploma, general education degree or equivalent required. Minimum of 2-3 years’ experience related to customer service, call centers or administration. Must have a thorough knowledge of business English, spelling and composition. Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite including Outlook, Word and Excel. Must be able to learn and retain extensive operating knowledge and have the ability to adapt to changes in procedures and processes. Preference for candidate with knowledge of international adoption processes, family functioning and child development. Understanding of adoption issues; dynamics of building families through adoption, grief related to infertility, separation and loss, developmental and medical conditions of childhood, complexity of older or sibling adoption, psycho-social family assessments, screens applicants for openness and ability to parent a child with the unique needs of children placed through intercountry adoption. Experience providing excellent customer service is essential. Excellent writing and computer skills and experience in office software and database required. Requires high level of independence. Required to have 30 hours of training in emerging adoption issues every two years.

INFORMATION PROCESSING: 

Strong organizational skills. Ability to develop and analyze systems of information and documents related to the families applying to Holt; distributing information and communicating with Holt staff, cooperating agencies, and families. Embracing diversity, respecting cultures and traditions of variety of countries. Consistent use of; excellent oral and written communication skills, creative problem solving, good judgment, and appropriate solicitation of supervision. Thorough knowledge of Holt’s database.

SCOPE OF RESPONSIBILITY: 

Ability to screen families for eligibility and appropriateness for intercountry adoptions process. Provides education and information to prospective adoptive families about the profile of child the family is eligible for. Establishes realistic expectations and lays groundwork for good working relationship with the agency. Ensures applicants are those that can successfully complete the adoption process. Ability to work independently, take initiative and recommend new ways to achieve agency objectives. 

INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION: 

Superior written and verbal communication skills required. Ability to exercise courtesy and tact in communications and contact with the general public. Ability to work effectively with other staff and other departments when there may be differing expectations. Ability to manage difficult situations and families in a sensitive manner. 

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY: N/A

DESCRIBE CONTROLS: Supervised by the Inquiry Lead.