What You'll Be Doing

The Kinship Engagement Specialist within the Wake County Health and Human Services (WCHHS) Child Welfare Division, Cross Functions Section is responsible for identifying, engaging, and supporting kinship caregivers, including relatives and fictive kin, to ensure children in the child welfare system experience safe, stable, and family-centered placements. This role focuses on family-finding efforts, caregiver engagement, case management, and resource coordination to strengthen family connections and promote permanency and well-being for children.

The Kinship Engagement Specialist will work cross-functionally within the Child Welfare Division, collaborating with social workers, legal professionals, and community partners to ensure that kinship caregivers have access to the resources, training, and
support they need.

Key Responsibilities:

• Conduct comprehensive family searches to identify potential kinship placements for children entering foster care
• Engage and assess relatives and fictive kin to determine their ability to provide a stable and supportive home
• Engage in and/or facilitate family team meetings to explore placement options, strengthen kinship networks and promote family involvement
• Educate kinship caregivers about their rights, responsibilities, and available resources within the Wake County child welfare system
• Utilize data-driven approaches to track family-finding efforts and improve engagement strategies
• Connect caregivers with financial assistance, mental health services, and other community resources to promote placement stability
• Offer ongoing case management and support to kinship families, ensuring children’s needs are met while working towards permanency
• Represent Wake County Child Welfare Division in community outreach efforts and stakeholder meetings
• Engage in Kinship Care initiatives (Kinship Care Month, Kinship Care Support Groups, etc.)

About Our Team

Wake County Health and Human Services (WCHHS) is the consolidation of programs and services that include social services, public health, job search assistance, child support, and transportation. Our mission, in partnership with the community, is to facilitate full access to high quality and effective health and human services for Wake County residents. In addition to our numerous standard programs, Wake County Health and Human Services (WCHHS) is engaged in a number of special initiatives that are impacting services and programs throughout our entire agency. Whether legislated down from the changing regulations on the Federal or State level or bubbling up from the entrepreneurial spirit of our staff, you can always look forward to Wake County Health and Human Services implementing new and exciting enhancements to our services and programs.

The Basics (Required Education and Experience)

• Bachelor's degree in Social Work or related field
• Three years of job-related experience
• Completion of the NC Child Welfare Education Collaborative (CWEC) traineeship can be substituted for 1 year of experience
• Valid Driver's License and "safe" driving record
• Equivalent education and experience are accepted

• Please include ALL prior work experience on your application and resume.

Beyond the Basics (Preferred Education and Experience)

• Skilled at engaging families in non-mandated services
• Extensive experience in engaging Kinship Care Families
• Knowledge of resources to support formal and informal kinship caregivers
• Proficiency in software and data tracking systems

How Will We Know You're 'The One'?

• Knowledge of (kinship) care policies, child welfare best practices, trauma-informed care, and family dynamics
• Strong relationship-building, communication, and advocacy skills to engage kinship families and community partners
• Ability to work with diverse populations and provide culturally responsive services
• Excellent time management and organizational skills to handle multiple cases effectively
• Strong written and verbal communication skills for case documentation, caregiver education, and stakeholder collaboration
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, case management software, and data tracking systems

About This Position

Location: HSC Swinburne Raleigh, NC 27610 USA

Employment Type: Regular

Work Schedule: Mon-Fri 8:30 am - 5:15 pm; some evenings and weekends required

Hiring Range: 28.96 - 39.10 Commensurate with Experience

Market Range: 28.96 - 49.24

Please include ALL prior work experience on your application and resume.

Posting Closing Date: 7:00 pm on 4/14/2025

What Makes Wake Great

Home to the State Capital, Wake County is one of the fastest growing areas in the nation and the most populous county in the state, with more than 1.1 million residents. The County has received national and international rankings and accolades from publications such as Money, Fortune, and Time magazines as being one of the best places to live, work and play. The central location of the County allows for a short drive to the spectacular mountains or coast. Wake County Government is governed by a seven-member Board of Commissioners, who are elected at-large to serve two-year terms. Wake County Government has a general operating budget of $1.874 billion, employs over 4400 employees, experiences minimal turnover, and is an award-winning leader in wellness and technology initiatives; such as offering employees and covered spouses free access to the Employee Health Center. Wake County Government offers a wide range of training and development opportunities, a stable career in public service with a balance of work and family life, flexible work schedules and a competitive salary and benefits package.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Wake County provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics.

Background Check Statement

Position may require a background check that may include: criminal, credit, motor vehicle, education, and sexual offender registry or others based on job requirements. Unless required by state law, a record of conviction will not automatically exclude you from consideration for employment. Wake County Government is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Emergency Service Worker Statement

In the event of an emergency, as determined by the County Manager or designee, participation in preparedness and response operations should be expected. Employee may be required to fill a temporary assignment in a role different from standard duties, work hours and/or work location in preparation for, during and after the emergency. Employee may also be required to participate in relevant exercises and regular preparedness training.

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• Wake County Government

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