Foster Care Licensing Worker

Wellspring Lutheran Services•Gaylord, MI

About The Position

Wellspring Lutheran Services is hiring a full-time Foster Care Licensing Worker serving Traverse City and Gaylord. The role partners with prospective and licensed foster families throughout the licensing journey, helping them understand requirements, complete home studies, and prepare to care for children in foster care. The worker identifies family strengths, provides guidance, and supports families as they open their homes to youth in need. Through assessment, training, ongoing support, and relationship-building, the Foster Care Licensing Worker helps ensure that foster families are prepared and equipped to provide safe, nurturing, and stable environments. The role also contributes to foster parent recruitment and retention and collaborates with foster care teams, community partners, and licensing agencies to help match children with families suited to their needs. Work is community-based and includes home visits, meetings, recruitment activities, training events, orientations, and support for licensed foster parents throughout the service area. The schedule is primarily daytime, with evening and occasional weekend responsibilities to accommodate foster parent training, orientations, and home visits. Local travel requires use of a personal vehicle. The listed salary is $41,500.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in social work or a related human services field.
Experience working with children and families.
Valid driver’s license, good driving record, and auto insurance.
Strong assessment, communication, and documentation skills.
Ability to evaluate family strengths, needs, and readiness for foster care.
Strong organizational and time management skills.
Commitment to strength-based, family-centered practice.
Empathy, respect, and a strength-based perspective when working with people.
Ability to build relationships, guide others through important decisions, balance multiple priorities, and collaborate as part of a team.

Responsibilities

Build relationships with individuals and families considering foster care and explain the difference they can make in a child’s life.
Guide families through licensing paperwork, training requirements, home assessments, and decisions about fostering.
Conduct comprehensive home studies to assess family strengths, readiness, and ability to provide safe, nurturing care.
Provide ongoing guidance to licensed foster homes, monitor compliance requirements, and help families access resources and training.
Contribute to foster parent recruitment and retention efforts within the communities served.
Collaborate with foster care teams, community partners, and licensing agencies to help match children with families who can meet their needs.
Conduct home visits, facilitate orientation sessions, complete home studies, support foster parents, coordinate placements, and provide training.