Social Worker III – Foster Licensing & Placement

Are you passionate about supporting families and making a meaningful difference in your community? We’re seeking a compassionate, dedicated professional to join our team in a vital role focused on the recruitment, training, and support of kinship, foster, and adoptive families. In this role, you’ll collaborate closely with a team of committed professionals and behavioral health partners to ensure children in foster care are placed in safe, nurturing homes.

We offer excellent benefits
, a strong emphasis on work-life balance
, and opportunities for ongoing professional development in a supportive, trauma-informed environment. If you’re looking for a career that values teamwork, personal growth, and the chance to truly impact lives, we encourage you to apply.

The primary functions of this position are the recruitment, training, and licensure of new kinship, foster, and adoptive families using trauma-informed practices. This position provides ongoing support and education to kinship and licensed foster families with children placed in their homes. This position works collaboratively with others on the team and behavioral health partners to identify appropriate placements for children in foster care.

The position is required to competently and accurately complete home visits and the relicensing process with families within the required time frame. This position prepares foster families for placement and the court process. This position provides ongoing counseling to support the parenting of children who have experienced trauma.

• Participate in the planning of and attend activities and events for the recruitment of new foster and adoptive families;
• Provide training for kinship and foster families using approved and trauma-informed practices such as TIPS-MAPP, Deciding Together, Caring for Our Own, and Resource Parent Curriculum (RPC);
• Provide ongoing support, education, and training to kinship families with children placed in their homes;
• Conduct all required background checks, produce well‑written and accurate pre‑placement assessments and home studies, and assess the parenting capabilities of potential foster and adoptive parents to ensure the safety of children who may be placed in the home;
• Conduct initial licensure and re‑licensure processes within required NC DHHS policy and time frames;
• Conduct all required quarterly home visits, address issues or concerns, ensure all safety and licensure requirements continue to be met, and provide ongoing support to families with children placed in their homes;
• Collaborate with other team members, foster care social workers, and behavioral health professionals to identify appropriate placements for children and youth in care;
• Assist with the facilitation of shared parenting with placement providers, and family time between children, parents, and siblings;
• Work collaboratively with a wide array of partners including the kinship and foster parents, foster care social workers, Guardian ad Litem program, and treatment providers to ensure the safety, health, and well‑being of children placed in foster care;
• Provide ongoing emotional support and education to help placement providers effectively prepare for and parent children who have experienced considerable trauma, to understand child welfare policy and practice, the juvenile court process and time frames, and to prepare for separation of children from their care;
• Attend Child and Family team meetings, Shared Parenting, Permanency Planning reviews, court hearings, and other required meetings as needed as a support to placement providers;
• Thorough and timely documentation of case information per policy;

• Participate in the rotation for on‑call for children’s services;
• Participate in shelter operations or other weather‑related incidents as needed;
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Master's degree in social work from an accredited school of social work;
Bachelor's degree in social work from an accredited school of social work and completion of the Child Welfare Collaborative (Child Welfare positions only);
Bachelor's degree in social work from an accredited school of social work and one year directly related experience;
Master's…