Licensing Specialist

PARTNERSHIP FOR STRONG FAMILIES INC•Gainesville, FL

1d•$22 - $25•Onsite

About The Position

The Licensing Specialist licenses, trains, and supports foster and kinship families throughout the licensing process. This position reports to the Licensing Supervisor and works to ensure foster homes comply with state licensing regulations, agency policies, and health, safety, and child welfare standards before and during licensure. The role involves assessing prospective families, conducting home studies and visits, facilitating training, reviewing documentation, maintaining records, and preparing licensing reports and recommendations. The specialist promotes diversity, cultural competency, trauma-informed care, and child-centered practices while maintaining professional relationships and ethical standards.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in psychology, social work, or a closely related field.
Child Protection Professional (CPP) certification or eligibility for CPP certification.
Valid State of Florida driver’s license to operate the motor vehicle operated; required at hire and as a condition of continued employment.
Must obtain Child Protection Professional (CPP) certification within twelve months of appointment.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in psychology, social work, or a closely related field.
Two years of child welfare experience, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience.

Responsibilities

Assess prospective foster and kinship families to determine eligibility for licensure.
Conduct home studies, family assessments, interviews, and background checks in accordance with state licensing regulations, agency policies, and timeframes.
Educate and prepare foster parents on foster care licensing responsibilities, expectations, and requirements.
Facilitate pre-service and other required training for potential foster families.
Review and verify documentation for compliance with licensing standards and regulatory requirements.
Perform initial and ongoing home visits to evaluate safety, suitability, and quality of care in foster homes.
Maintain accurate, timely, and confidential records in agency databases.
Stay current on child welfare laws, foster care regulations, best practices, and agency procedures.
Prepare reports, correspondence, and licensing recommendations for management and regulatory review.
Ensure foster homes meet health, safety, and child welfare standards before licensure and throughout the licensing period.
Promote diversity, cultural competency, trauma-informed care, and child-centered practices in licensing activities.
Maintain professional relationships with foster families while upholding ethical standards and regulatory requirements.
Use questioning techniques to gather information and form conclusions or make decisions.
Synthesize information into coherent summaries and consider the perspectives, expertise, experience, and limitations of others and systems.
Plan home studies to accomplish their objectives and prepare in advance for home visits and pre-service training presentations.
Compose comprehensive foster home studies based on prospective families’ strengths and needs.
Document issues, questions, or concerns related to licensing foster homes thoroughly.
Demonstrate understanding of and sensitivity to the service population’s cultural and socioeconomic characteristics.
Perform additional duties as assigned to support foster care licensing and child welfare program objectives.