Employment Opportunities

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Summary of Position

The Development Team supports the Coalition’s mission by inspiring, managing, and growing the support of donors. The Donor Engagement Manager leads the Development Team in the planning and execution of donor prospecting and ongoing engagement. This position works closely with other members of the Development Team, the Marketing Team, Executive Director, Chief Financial Officer, and Chief Impact Officer.

Essential Functions & Responsibilities:

• Provides intentional and meaningful engagement with affinity groups and various types of donors (new, monthly, lapsed, corporate, etc.).

• Develops and implements strategies/annual goals to increase retention, involvement, and support among donors, sponsors, and prospects through regular, intentional contact.

• Solicits donations to support special events, fundraisers, and ReFresh/ReSource.

• Conducts community outreach of prospective corporate and other group partners- understanding how their mission and vision align with the Coalition, their interests for involvement, and/or capacity for giving.

• Records, manages, and analyzes fundraising data while looking for trends using Salesforce or a similar Client Relationship Management (CRM) system.

• See job description for a complete list of responsibilities.

Qualifications & Requirements:

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in business or marketing, and/or a minimum of 3 years’ experience in development, sales, or closely related field.

Experience

• Experience in the nonprofit sector and working with diverse stakeholders.

To Apply:

This is a full-time position. Send your resume and optional cover letter to recruiting@foster-adopt.org.  The Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Download full job description.

Summary of Position

Extreme Recruitment® is an innovative, evidence-informed model that focuses on achieving permanency for youth who face some of the most significant barriers to adoption and guardianship. The program serves youth ages 10–18, sibling groups, and those with emotional, developmental, or behavioral needs—many of whom have experienced complex trauma and systemic inequities. Through intensive, time-limited, child-specific recruitment efforts, the program works to identify and support permanent families for these young people while building a lifelong network of supportive adults.

The Director of Extreme Recruitment® oversees a team of Extreme Recruiters and ensures fidelity to the model’s goals: building a sustainable network of caring adults for at least 85% of youth and identifying a committed permanent resource for at least 70% of program participants. The Director of Extreme Recruitment® offers reflective supervision, coaching, and support rooted in trauma-informed care and cultural humility ensuring that the needs and voices of youth while guiding staff through intensive recruitment, case pre-work, permanency matching, and post-match stabilization.

Essential Functions & Responsibilities:

As a member of the Coalition’s Leadership Team, the individual who holds this position must demonstrate the ability to:

• Provide constructive and strategic feedback to the Leadership Team.
• Facilitate decision-making and communications within and between internal and external constituents and professionals for the development and enhancement of the organization.
• Direct and develop people: Willingness to initiate difficult discussions.
• Shape positive organizational culture.
• Evaluate and monitor team and agency-wide progress towards annual goals and objectives.
• Drive execution.
• Have vision and see the big picture (especially when things get challenging).
• Demonstrate emotional, professional and emotional maturity; introspection.
• Stand up and get involved when necessary—strong advocacy skills.
• As the immediate supervisor to the Extreme Recruitment team, the individual who holds this position must demonstrate the ability to provide:
  • Leadership & supervision
  • Case oversight & assignment
  • Documentation & data management
  • Training & Outreach
  • Communication & Collaboration
  • Professionalism & Conduct
• See job description for a complete list of responsibilities.

Qualifications & Requirements:

Education

• Bachelor’s Degree in a Social Service or related field is required.

Experience

• Demonstrated experience working with interdisciplinary teams utilizing innovative strategies to overcome obstacles. Direct experience in child welfare field with a strong knowledge of foster care and adoption. Supervisory experience or demonstrated leadership acuity required.
• Strong candidates will possess:
  • At least 5 years of direct child welfare experience
  • Experience in case management, foster parent licensing, and foster care adoption services
  • Knowledge and familiarity with the policies a and procedures of the Family Courts, area Children’s Division offices, and contracted Foster Care Case Management (FCCM) agencies in St. Louis and the surrounding counties
  • Missouri Children’s Division FACES training

To Apply:

This is a full-time position. Send your resume and optional cover letter to recruiting@foster-adopt.org.  The Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Download full job description.

Summary of Position

The Educational Advocate plays a critical role in providing educational support and advocacy for youth in foster care, those adopted from foster care, and children in guardianship arrangements from the foster care system. Serving as a key resource for caregivers, educators, and child welfare professionals, the advocate works to ensure that each child’s educational needs are met, empowering families to navigate complex systems effectively.

Essential Functions & Responsibilities:

• School Placement & Educational Support: The advocate works with the child’s Educational Decision Maker to ensure appropriate school placement and access to necessary educational services.
• Special Education & Evaluations: Supports the acquisition of educational evaluations and ensures the implementation of special education services as required by law.
• Disciplinary Advocacy: Upholds the rights of students during disciplinary proceedings, ensuring fair treatment and due process.
• Mental & Behavioral Support: Connects students to essential behavioral, emotional, or mental health resources to promote educational success.
• Initial Assessment: After an intake consultation, the advocate conducts a thorough assessment, including school observations, interviews with school staff, and potential direct interviews with the child.
• Individualized Service Plan: A comprehensive plan is developed, outlining goals and existing support, which guides the advocacy process.
• Collaborative Action: The advocate works closely with school teams, service agencies, and the family to address educational concerns, facilitate IEP meetings, and ensure proper documentation is in place.
• Ongoing Support & Monitoring: Once goals are achieved, the advocate maintains periodic check-ins and follow-ups to ensure long-term success, including home visits or additional observations.
• See job description for a complete list of responsibilities.

Qualifications & Requirements:

Education

• Master’s degree in education or related field required.

Experience

• Proven Experience in Collaboration: Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with multi-disciplinary teams, leveraging innovative strategies to overcome challenges and ensure successful outcomes for children and families.
• Expert Knowledge of Education & Foster Care Systems: In-depth understanding of the education system, including Special Education processes, child development, and educational laws, paired with experience navigating the foster care system.
• Minimum of 2 Years Relevant Experience: At least 2 years of professional experience working within or alongside the education and foster care systems, preferably with direct involvement in advocating for youth in foster care or those with educational barriers.

To Apply:

This is a full-time position. Send your resume and optional cover letter to recruiting@foster-adopt.org.  The Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Download full job description.

Summary of Position

Families United is a comprehensive relative support program dedicated to assisting relatives and kinship caregivers in navigating the foster care licensing process while offering emotional and practical support. We recognize that kinship placements can occur unexpectedly, often placing immediate and significant responsibilities on caregivers. Our goal is to support families every step of the way, providing advocacy, education, resources, and crisis assistance to help them maintain stable, healthy homes for their loved ones.

The Families United program offers license-ready assistance which focuses on guiding families through the entire foster care licensing process. This includes completing home studies, gathering necessary documents, attending court hearings, providing required training, and connecting families with community resources. Once a family is licensed, ongoing support continues until the child’s case closes.

Essential Functions & Responsibilities:

• Guide relative caregivers through the licensing process
• Conduct home visits and maintain communication
• Facilitate caregiver training
• Advocate for families and engage families proactively
• Maintain thorough documentation
• Participate in team and agency meetings
• Remain informed about policy
• Integrate feedback and collaborate effectively
• Demonstrate cultural competence
• See job description for a complete list of responsibilities.

Qualifications & Requirements:

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in social work or related social service field required.

Experience

• Direct professional work experience in foster care licensing
• Minimum of two years in child welfare field with direct experience working with foster and adoptive families
• STARS Train the Trainer certified is preferred
• SAFE trained or available to complete training within 60 days

To Apply:

This is a full-time position. Send your resume and optional cover letter to recruiting@foster-adopt.org.  The Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Download full job description.

Summary of Position

The Family Works program is an in-home parenting support intervention intended to stabilize and enhance foster, pre and post-adoptive, and guardianship homes at risk of disruption due to the family’s depleted capacity to meet the needs of children impacted by abuse and neglect.

The Family Works Specialist has a master’s degree in social work or a counseling related field. They have extensive training and clinical understanding of developmental trauma, neurobiology, attachment, and their impact on foster/adoptive youth and families. Enrolled families have access to support from their Specialists during when escalated situations occur. This sometimes occurs after office hours and on weekends.

The program focuses on increasing the caregiver’s capacity to understand, accept, and effectively respond to the behavioral challenges children and youth present. Through this program, caregivers are provided support, skills, validation, and psychoeducation to remain open and engaged with their child, even during challenging behaviors, creating a haven for growth and healing.

The program follows the principles of Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP). It uses strategies and techniques to help the family stabilize and further support the child(ren) to develop greater relational skills, increase their sense of personal safety and security, resolve developmental trauma, and facilitate new relationships.

Projected Outcomes:

• 80% of children will remain home or move to a more stable living situation
• 70% of parents have knowledge, skills, and support for positive parenting (measured by the Parental Stress Scale)

Essential Functions & Responsibilities:

• Utilize knowledge of complex developmental trauma and attachment-based strategies to educate parents and caregivers about the unique issues surrounding adoption and guardianship, identity development, loss, grief, attachment, and trauma.
• Appointment days and times are dependent on the availability of individual families assigned to the specialist. Given the nature of this position, up to 20% of the work hours can be expected to occur in the evenings and/or weekends.
• Identify, collaborate with, and refer to collateral service providers.
• Respond to families with a sense of urgency and in a timely manner.
• Respond to communication from families, staff, and professionals promptly.
• Provide face-to-face child and family interventions.
• Partner with families to identify and establish attainable goals and support families in achieving them.
• Navigate and use various software packages to promptly obtain, collect, and track program data as required by the funder and the Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition. This includes but is not limited to Salesforce.
• Provide wraparound services by cultivating and networking with resource and referral services and support within the community (i.e., school programs, family court, summer camps, therapy services). Link children and families to such services and support.
• Request and review psychological, medical, educational, legal, and social service records supporting the child and family to reach the goals.
• See job description for a complete list of responsibilities.

Qualifications & Requirements:

Education

• Master’s degree in counseling, social work, or a related counseling field.
• LMSW, LCSW, PLPC, or LPC preferred.

Experience

• 2 Years of experience in child welfare or related field with direct client contact.

To Apply:

This is a full-time position. Send your resume and optional cover letter to recruiting@foster-adopt.org.  The Foster & Adoptive Care Coalition is an Equal Opportunity Employer.