Child Welfare Placement Worker

Office of Shared Administration•Statewide, WV

About The Position

Child Welfare Placement Workers perform home-finding services in child welfare. They recruit, locate, and evaluate prospective foster care homes; train new and active providers; conduct periodic provider reviews; and initiate corrective action plans when needed. The role involves working with professionals in social work, mental health, courts, and the legal system, as well as maintaining written casework documentation and detailed records. The work involves frequent travel using a personal vehicle and may require after-hours and weekend emergency response. Overtime may be required. Applicants must have a valid West Virginia driver’s license, reliable transportation, access to a phone, strong oral and written communication skills, and must successfully complete a background check. A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university is required; no experience is required. The Bureau for Social Services works to promote the security, permanence, and welfare of children and vulnerable adults, and to strengthen families. Operating under the West Virginia Department of Human Services, it serves people affected by abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation and helps connect them with healthcare, social services, and benefits while supporting safe and healthy environments.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
Valid driver’s license; the posting specifies a valid West Virginia driver’s license.
Reliable transportation and access to a phone.
Strong oral and written communication skills.
Ability to maintain detailed case records and extensive documentation.
Successful completion of a background check.

Responsibilities

Attend ongoing training on state and federal social welfare laws, rules, regulations, and evolving protocols concerning child abuse and neglect.
Interview prospective providers and visually observe their homes or facilities to identify safe placement options for children affected by abuse or neglect.
Assess prospective placement candidates using established guidelines to determine whether they can meet children’s needs under current requirements.
Review care providers to identify changes in household dynamics and problems that may have arisen since placement.
Communicate with new foster home providers about children’s safety, well-being, and permanency.
Attend court hearings, testify before the court, and arrange appropriate child placements, including with relatives, in foster homes, or in residential treatment facilities.
Evaluate families’ or living environments’ progress toward safety, service, and treatment plan objectives; determine whether plans need modification and assess eventual case disposition.
Recruit, locate, and evaluate prospective foster care homes; train new and active providers; conduct periodic reviews; and initiate corrective action plans when needed.
Maintain written casework documentation and detailed records of related activities.
Perform related work as required.