Bilingual Licensing and Home Study Specialist

About the role

EnCircle’s Transitional Foster Care program is in partnership with Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Services (LIRS) and serves unaccompanied children in the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement, placing them in foster families in the Richmond area until they are reunited with family or sponsors in the U.S. The Bilingual Licensing and Home Study Specialist cultivates a robust network of strong foster families to host these children and works closely with the Recruiting Specialist for Foster Care.

Responsibilities

• Manage the licensing and re-licensing process for foster homes, including initial certification, pre-service training, and ongoing training.
• Maintain working knowledge of the ORR Unaccompanied Children program and Virginia licensing standards, applying child welfare best practices.
• Deliver trauma-informed and strengths-based training to foster families.
• Complete home studies and coordinate team efforts to maintain homes and minimize disruptions.
• Ensure quality assurance of foster family case documentation.
• Accompany prospective foster families through the application and licensure process, assist with paperwork, and develop positive working relationships.
• Coordinate with trainers regarding the status of prospective parents and assist with training as needed.
• Manage retention efforts by developing and facilitating supportive activities for existing foster families.
• Conduct home visits for initial licensure and licensure renewal as needed.
• Perform administrative tasks, including submission of expense reports and employee leave reports.
• Participate in administrative supervision at least bi-weekly.
• Attend recruitment events and collaborate with case managers as needed.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in social work or a related field and 1 year of experience in case management with children and families; or
• Bachelor’s degree in behavioral sciences, human services, or social services and at least 2 years of experience in case management with children and families; or
• Master’s degree in social work or a related field and 1 year of experience in child welfare or case management.
• Bilingual in Spanish and English.
• Knowledge of foster care and/or unaccompanied children services strongly preferred.
• Excellent presentation and public speaking skills with the ability to implement training and program presentations effectively.
• Ability to clearly explain program expectations to foster families and the realities of the UC pipeline based on ORR Policy and Procedure and local state licensing requirements.
• Familiarity with training strategies and intervention techniques to minimize disruptions in foster homes.
• Computer skills sufficient to use the UAC Portal, Microsoft Office, and internal e-case management software.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality, prepare reports, and complete required paperwork in a timely manner.
• Valid driver’s license and proof of insurance; satisfactory driving record per policy.
• Ability to drive an agency vehicle and access to a personal vehicle for home visits.
• Willingness to work some evenings and weekends to meet scheduling needs.
• Ability to travel within the greater Richmond area as needed.
• Pass a criminal history screen, including state and local child protection agency registries.

Driving Requirements

• No violations in the last 5 years for: reckless driving (including speeding 20 mph or more over the limit), driving under the influence, manslaughter or negligent homicide, habitual offender status, driving on a suspended or revoked license, commercial motor vehicle violations, injuring a person while racing, failure to stop at the scene of a crash with injury/death/property damage ≥ $1,000, emergency vehicle violation causing death, vehicular assault, blocking access to a service facility, attempting to elude police, operating an unsafe vehicle, vulnerable road user death, or blocking access to a service facility.
• No violations in the last 3 years for: passing a stopped school bus, careless driving, or three or more minor moving violations.

Benefits

• Health coverage: medical, dental, vision, disability, life, accident, hospital, critical illness, pet
• Financial benefits: 401(k) with match, retention bonus, early wage access via DailyPay
• Time off and well-being support: generous PTO, paid holidays, employee assistance program and chaplain services, educational assistance, professional development, Calm app access (for you, friends, and family)