Foster Care Manager

Status: Regular / Full-time / Exempt

Reports to: Foster Care Program Director

Location: Wabash, IN

Position summary:The Foster Care Manager provides leadership and oversight for all foster care operations within the assigned office, ensuring high-quality, therapeutically sound services for children, youth, and families. This role supervises Family Specialists, Resource Family Developers, Foster Care Advocates, and support staff, guiding their clinical practice, caseload management, and professional development. The Foster Care Manager is responsible for program compliance, quality assurance, and adherence to agency policies, licensing, and accreditation standards. This individual sets the tone for a positive team culture rooted in the Teaching Family Model and demonstrates strong leadership, organizational, and interpersonal skills. Through collaboration with staff, foster parents, and community partners, the Foster Care Manager advances Josiah White's mission to promote healing, growth, and permanency for every child and family served.

Qualifications:

• An individual with strong convictions who is also in agreement with Josiah White's mission statement, Statement of Faith, and Code of Conduct.
• Must be 21 years of age or older.

• Bachelor's degree required and at least ONE of the following:

• Three years of supervised paid casework experience, at least one year of which was with a child welfare agency

• At least eight credit hours of master's degree level courses in: social work, counseling, or human services area of study or related field and at least one year of supervised paid casework with a child welfare agency
• Must have a valid driver's license and proof of vehicle insurance.

Essential job functions:

• Oversee all aspects of the foster care program within the assigned office, including treatment direction, caseload assignments, and review of all written documentation for accuracy and compliance.
• Implement and maintain treatment programming consistent with Josiah White's mission, accreditation standards, and the evidence-based Teaching Family Model.
• Conduct regular clinical supervision and performance evaluations with direct care staff to guide practice, support development, and uphold agency standards.
• Monitor program compliance with agency policies, licensing requirements, and accreditation standards through regular audits and quality assurance processes.
• Coordinate and lead treatment team meetings to promote collaborative planning, effective case management, and positive outcomes for children and families.
• Serve as a resource and backup during crisis situations, providing guidance and participating in the on-call rotation as needed.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with referral agencies, foster parents, and community partners to promote effective collaboration and problem-solving.
• Address and resolve major foster parent or agency concerns in consultation with the Program Director, ensuring issues are managed promptly and professionally.

Supervisory responsibilities:

• Recruit, interview, hire, and train new staff.
• Provide leadership, supervision, and support to Family Specialists, Resource Family Developers, Foster Care Advocates, and Office Assistants, ensuring effective performance, quality service delivery, and professional growth.
• Promote a positive team culture and professional work environment by modeling leadership, communication, and adherence to the agency's mission, vision, values, and organizational policies and procedures.
• Provide constructive and timely clinical supervision and performance evaluations.
• Address corrective action in accordance with company policy.

Work Schedule: This position requires, on average, 40 or more hours per week. Normal work hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm. Hours may extend outside of normal work hours based on staff, and client needs and schedules. The Foster Care Manager will be expected to respond to staff when they need guidance and additional resources during major incidents, no matter the time of day, when not utilizing paid time off.

Physical Demands & Work Environment: The employee in this role will work in an office, client homes and/or community settings as appropriate to service delivery. Frequent local day-time travel and occasional overnight travel is required. The employee must be able to successfully complete Mindset, our crisis and de-escalation curriculum, and CPR/First Aid training, which requires the ability to get on the floor, on knees, and back up.

Principles of the Teaching Family Model will be incorporated into the culture of the office. We are committed to fostering a workplace where all individuals–staff, children, and families–are treated with compassion, respect, and dignity. Our ministry seeks to serve each child and family with empathy, cultural sensitivity, and grace.