Resource Parent Recruiter (part-time): Therapeutic Foster Care at Northern Virginia Family Service in Oakton, Virginia

Job Description:

The NVFS Therapeutic Foster Care Program (TFC) serves Northern Virginia and the surrounding areas. Program staff recruit, prepare and support resource parents to provide temporary, healing home environments for children/teens in the state’s foster care system. These parents receive intensive pre- and in-service training that equips them with the knowledge, skills and tools they need to manage challenging behaviors and build nurturing, trusting relationships with foster children/teens and their biological families. The program provides 24/7 support/crisis intervention to resource families and the foster children/teens placed in their homes.

The TFC Resource Parent Recruiter is responsible for ensuring that NVFS has an adequate number of resource families with whom to place foster children/teens referred to the program. These children/teens have histories of complex trauma and challenging behaviors that have required treatment in one or more residential facilities. The Recruiter should have the ability to connect with different populations of resource parents who can meet the unique and individual needs of these children and reflect the diversity of their population.  

The Recruiter is a skilled communicator/marketer responsible for the successful recruitment and retention of resource parents and for raising awareness of the need for them in the community. Recruitment efforts include reaching a broad audience through networking, public presentations, outreach and use of social media and technology. The Recruiter should be creative and willing to pursue non-traditional recruitment methods and strategies in order to reach diverse and varying groups of potential resource parents with whom these foster children and teens can find a safe and nurturing home.

Essential Job Duties: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with known disabilities to perform the essential functions.

 Outreach and Recruitment:

• Plan and implement outreach activities to recruit resource parents by networking and building and maintaining community partnerships.


• Stay informed about resource parent recruitment, management and retention research/strategies; use that knowledge to inform practice.


• Develop and implement recruiting and retention strategies and tracking tools to measure the success of campaign effectiveness, creating and designing new campaigns as needed to continuously attract new recruits.


• Build a prospect network and launch various recruitment campaigns to establish an ongoing pipeline of candidates.


• Make cold calls and host informational meetings for potential resource parents.


• Conduct and attend networking and marketing events and represent the NVFS community at resource fairs, promotional presentations, and other events to attract resource parents.


• Raise awareness in the community about the need for resource parents by visiting community locations and leaders, and following up on referrals to source potential recruits and enhance community relationships.


• Monitor and maintain allocated marketing budget and partner with internal communications/marketing resources to produce materials. Record and report on the statistics necessary to measure the effectiveness of various recruitment efforts; report regularly on pipeline activity.


• Maintain contact with families interested in becoming licensed resource parents at intervals determined by the Program Director.


• Meet quarterly recruitment quotas.


• Maintain accurate documentation on all prospective resource families.

 Program Support and Other Activities:

• Track foster care referral demographics to ensure on-target recruitment efforts


• Stay current on licensing requirements for private foster care provider agencies


• Prepare narrative and statistical reports for NVFS staff and contract monitors measuring program outcomes and effectiveness


• Participate in regular supervision with Program Director

Qualification and Additional Requirements:  An individual may obtain skills through a variety of professional, personal, educational, and volunteer experiences. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities required to perform essential job duties.

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing or Communications preferred


• At least two (2) years of experience in recruitment including:
  
  
  
  • Ability to set and successfully meet recruitment metrics and goals
  
  
  • Ability to develop and implement effective recruiting strategies and measurement tools to meet program needs
  
  
  • Ability to strategize various methods of reaching prospective recruits
  
  


• Strong communication skills including comfort using the phone, public speaking and making presentations


• Strong interpersonal skills and proven ability to build trust, rapport and maintain relationships


• Fluency in English required; Spanish language fluency a plus. Additional language skills welcome.


• Proficiency in use of basic technological tools including laptops/computers, email, phones, and internet, virtual meeting and learning platforms


• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite


• Skills/comfort using electronic communication and social media platforms


• Commitment to organizational values of Communication, Integrity, Respect, Collaboration, and Accountability


• Experience and familiarity with foster care and/or recruiting foster parents a plus


• Will require local travel in Northern Virginia. Must have reliable transportation to conduct outreach efforts and attend community events; be able to meet with prospective resource parents in their homes or designated community locations as needed; be comfortable with varying home conditions and being around sick children and adults.


• May be called upon to transport a child/client if clear Motor Vehicle Record and valid U.S. driver’s license.


• Must be able to work beyond/outside of standard working hours including some evenings and weekends.

At Northern Virginia Family Service (NVFS), we value the diversity of backgrounds, experience, perspectives, and skillsets that we collectively provide to our community, clients and coworkers. We celebrate and thrive on our differences and welcome everyone’s unique contributions. NVFS is committed to advancing equity, embracing diversity, and promoting inclusion and is an equal opportunity employer. NVFS is an E-Verify participant and drug-free workplace.

NVFS values diversity in our workforce.  We strongly encourage all interested individuals to apply, including people of color, all genders and gender identities, people of all abilities, LGBTQ+ individuals, other members of marginalized communities, veterans and national service alumni.

Experience

Required

• 2 year(s): Recruiting experience including understanding program needs and profile of target population to recruit for; ability to set and successfully meet recruitment metrics and goals; developing and implementing effective recruiting strategies; measurement tools to meet program needs; strategizing various methods and venues of reaching prospective recruits

Preferred

• Experience and familiarity with foster care and/or recruiting foster parents

Education

Preferred

• Bachelors or better in Communication or related field


• Bachelors or better in Marketing or related field

Licenses & Certifications

Preferred

• Valid US Driver's License

Skills

Required

• Computer-Microsoft Office Suite

Preferred

• Language-Spanish

See job description

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