Adoption Recruiter

Graham Windham Adoption Recruiter

About the Program

Graham Windham is partnering with the Wendy’s Wonderful Kids program, an initiative of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, to carry out a Child-Focused Recruitment Model to find adoptive families for children and youth most likely to age out of the foster care system.

WENDY’S WONDERFUL KIDS RECRUITER will:

Implement the Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Child-Focused Recruitment Model.

1. Be hired by and report to the contracted agency and abide by the contracted agency’s policies and procedures regarding time and place of work, supervision, reporting, confidentiality and all other aspects of employment.
2. Assure that necessary authorizations are secured to utilize photos of Wendy’s Wonderful Kids children, in line with the Child-Focused Recruitment Model as permitted by the custodial agency.
3. Attend educational opportunities provided by the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption including, but not limited to: classroom training, online modules, database training, webinars, and the Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Summit hosted by the Foundation.
4. Enter accurate data monthly into the Child Trends database.
5. Participate in evaluation activities as directed by the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.
6. Adhere to the Marketing and Communications Style Guide provided by the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.

About the Position

The recruiter’s responsibilities should adhere to the components of the Child-Focused Recruitment Model as noted in the contract.

Conducts initial referral services by establishing contact with the child’s caseworker to introduce the role of WWK, gathering initial referral information, establishing a date to begin case file review and scheduling an initial meeting with each child;

Builds relationships by having, at minimum, monthly meetings with each child in person to develop openness and trust;

Conducts in-depth case record reviews of existing files to include:

1. Date and reason the child entered the system;
2. Child’s most recent profile and assessment;
3. Chronological placement history;
4. Significant services provided to the child, currently or in the past;
5. Identification of needed services;
6. All significant people in the child’s life, past and present, including caseworkers, foster parents, attorneys, court-appointed special advocate (CASA) volunteers, teachers, therapists, relatives, mentors, faith-based representatives, extracurricular activity leaders, etc.; and
7. Next upcoming court date;

1. Provides family search efforts by implementing the process of identifying, locating, and contacting persons with whom the child already has, or had, a bond or positive relationship with, with the knowledge and approval of the child’s caseworker;
2. Develops an initial written assessment of each child, and provides updated assessments quarterly to enhance the child-focused plan.  Assesses the child’s strengths, challenges, desires, preparedness for adoption and whether the child has needs that should be addressed before moving forward with the adoption process.  If the child has needs that must be addressed prior to moving forward with the adoption process, Grantee will ensure that the recruiter will work with the child’s caseworker to have the child’s needs met;
3. Provides adoption readiness efforts to address any barriers to child’s willingness to be adopted.  During the matching process, Grantee will ensure that the recruiter assesses whether the family is adequately prepared to meet the needs of the WWK child;
4. Builds a network with persons close to and knowledgeable about the child, such as caseworkers, foster parents, CASA volunteers, teachers, relatives, mentors, faith-based representatives, etc., and maintains regular and on-going contact with them; and
5. Develops a comprehensive recruitment plan or enhances the existing recruitment plan, based on file review, interviews with significant adults, and the input of the child.  The plan will be customized and defined by each child’s needs.  The plan will be reviewed at minimum monthly and updated quarterly.
6. Maintain active caseloads of 12-15 children and an average total caseload of 18 children.
7. Recruiter will diligently search for potential adoptive families among targeted populations and recruitment areas, to include aggressive follow-up with identified contacts.
8. Maintain and access each child’s case records, including electronic case records.
9. Attends Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Summits (“WWK Summits”).  If there is an emergency situation that prevents the recruiter from attending a WWK Summit, Grantee must notify Grantee’s DTFA Grant Manager as soon as the emergency arises.
10. Attends DTFA-provided initial classroom-based training at DTFA’s expense. 
11. Attends other training opportunities that DTFA may, at its discretion, provide from time to time. 
12. Recruiters will work with the DTFA Grant Manager to create individual WWK recruiter match and adoption goals. 

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's in Social Work, Education, Psychology or related field required, Master's preferred.
• Minimum 2 years’ experience working with children and families. Experience as an Adoption Recruiter preferred.
• Experience with NYC child welfare programs and ACS requirements.
• Computer literate, MS Office; NYS Connections.
• Excellent time management, organizational, relationship building, active listening, problem-solving and presentation skills.
• Energetic, self-directed and goals-focused approach to the work with young children and families.
• Candidate must be flexible as evenings hours may be required
• Bilingual Spanish/English preferred.

Competencies & Traits:

• Demonstrated ability to successfully navigate bureaucracy
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate within a team and to build and maintain strong relationships with internal staff and external care providers
• Dedication for working with at-risk children and youth and their families
• Detailed & Organized.
• Possess excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Timely reporting of safety concerns to case planning team.
• Solution-focused and Dependable
• Ability to work with diverse populations (including LGBTQ) and cultures, process information and respond appropriately.
• Demonstrated ability to meet tight deadlines.
• Ability to multi-task.
• Ability to work and communicate with senior levels.
• Must be hospitable, flexible, a team player, and have a passion for serving children and families.
• Mission focused on helping children and families have the opportunity and preparation to succeed in life.
• Possess a strong belief in people’s ability to grow and change; forge a mutually respectful partnership with persons served and their families.
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Other Requirements:

• Willingness and ability to travel throughout the five boroughs of New York, Westchester County, and Long Island.
• Valid NYS driver’s license a plus.

Full-time position; salary commensurate with experience.  Graham Windham offers eligible employees a comprehensive benefit package including medical, dental, and vision coverage, paid time off, holiday pay, retirement savings plan, and much more.