Foster Care Parenting Coach

Foster Care Parenting Coach

We are looking for a Foster Care Parenting Coach to work closely with our Foster Care Team in Kalamazoo. This is a full‑time position with benefits. The role involves a mix of field and office work with opportunities for schedule flexibility.

There is a $500 sign‑on bonus.

Family & Children Services is committed to preserving families and providing children with safe, nurturing homes. Our foster and family care programs support both goals by providing nurturing homes for children while we work toward family reunification. When reunification is not possible, our foster care-to-adoption services help children find loving, permanent homes.

This position supervises parenting time visitation, provides parenting education and coaching, transports children to appointments, and assists workers with case‑related activities on an as‑needed basis.

• Coordinate and maintain contact with birth families and foster families to schedule parenting time.
• Oversee scheduled parenting time visitations in the Kalamazoo and Battle Creek offices, birth family homes, and out in the community in surrounding counties.
• Coach parents on parenting skills by modeling, instructing, and prompting; provide feedback and intervene as necessary to ensure child safety and appropriate content of conversations.
• Provide detailed visitation notes for each parenting time, reporting strengths and concerns to the Foster Care Specialist.
• Provide transportation and supervision for foster children to and from family visits and appointments, following Michigan driving laws and car seat safety laws.
• Hold a valid driver’s license with a good driving record and proof of automobile insurance; the vehicle must be safe and clean.
• Demonstrate knowledge of child development.
• Work flexible, nontraditional hours, including evenings and weekends.
• Maintain confidentiality of information.
• Support professional staff by making copies, filing, and other work requests within designated time frames.
• Perform other job‑related duties as assigned.

Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a pre‑employment drug screen, background check, reference verification, and required child welfare clearances.

A minimum of 62 credit hours in a human services or related field from an accredited college is required; a Bachelor’s Degree is preferred.

Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules and procedure manuals; ability to write routine reports and correspondence; ability to speak effectively to customers and provide accurate court testimony.

Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form; ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations.

• Valid Michigan driver’s license and driving record complying with agency policy; ability to implement physical assistance/intervention as warranted.
• Ability to work out‑of‑office in unstructured, unpredictable situations.
• Ability to drive in all‑weather conditions.
• Must be able to lift young children into vehicles and secure them in age‑appropriate car seats.

Other physical requirements include standing, walking, reaching, and lifting up to 25 pounds; vision requirements include distance, peripheral, and depth perception.

Moderate noise level; reasonable accommodations may be made for disabilities.

$16.00‑$18.00 per hour.