Family Resource Worker

About Children’s Services of Roxbury

Children’s Services of Roxbury (CSR) works with the Department of Children and Families (DCF) to provide alternative placements for families when their children are not able to be safe from abuse/neglect. CSR provides foster homes that provide a loving, stable, and structured environment in order to meet the child’s needs until a permanent living environment has been identified. CSR has family resources available that are able to meet the requirements for children needing Comprehensive Foster Care (CFC).

About the Role

The Family Resource Worker is responsible for the recruitment, licensing, and ongoing support of foster families. This role ensures that all foster homes remain in strict compliance with CSR, DCF, and EEC safety standards and regulations. The ideal candidate serves as a primary liaison between the agency and foster parents, providing trauma-informed guidance, administrative oversight, and emergency support to ensure a stable environment for children in care.

Essential Responsibilities

Foster Home Management & Support

• Conduct monthly in-person home visits to provide support and ensure homes meet safety standards, physical requirements, and enhanced safety assessments.
• Establish early rapport by introducing yourself and scheduling initial visits as soon as a foster home is assigned.
• Maintain continuous telephone contact with foster parents to address ongoing needs.
• Partner with Foster Care Caseworkers to ensure action plans and placement agreements are accurately maintained in the family files.

Compliance, Documentation & Licensing

• Manage the annual re-evaluation and annual licensing renewal process for foster homes, including comprehensive reviews of past-year events and child placements.
• Coordinate and track all required background checks (CORI, BRC, SORI) annually for all household members and frequent visitors; ensure compliance with DCF fingerprinting policies.
• Maintain meticulous electronic and physical records, including medical references, driver’s licenses, auto insurance, pet vaccinations, and vital records (birth/marriage/divorce).
• Document all contacts with foster parents and assist in the filing of 51A incident reports for EEC as required.
• Utilize Virtual Gateway and Credible systems to enter narratives, re-evaluations, and training logs.

Placement & Training

• Participate in weekly Home-finding Meetings to discuss family availability and child matching.
• Maintain the Child Placement Log and Child Placement Agreements for all entries, exits, and respite stays.
• Train foster homes in trauma-informed care and facilitate foster parent support groups.
• Assist the Recruitment Team in setting up and facilitating evening training sessions once a month.
• Collaborate with the Family Resource Unit to identify appropriate matches for referrals and emergency placements.

Crisis Response & Professionalism

• Respond to emergencies as needed, including availability before 9:00 AM or after 5:00 PM.
• Participate in a weekly designated “duty day” and the agency’s on-call rotation.
• Maintain professional boundaries and representation at all times with children, providers, and collateral agencies.

Qualifications & Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Social Work or related field. Master’s preferred.
• CSR will support you to obtain and maintain Social Work/Mental Health License within the first 6 months of employment.
• Knowledge of referral coordination to community and private/public resources a plus
• Experience in navigating any of the child-serving systems and experience advocating for children who are involved with behavioral health systems.
• Must be willing to work in collaboration with the child’s entire Treatment Team, including: DCF social workers, Service Providers (therapists, physiatrists), biological families, school personnel etc. towards the goals of the child’s Action Plan.
• Spanish language proficiency is a nice-to-have.
• Valid driver’s license without restrictions and have reliable transportation are required.
• Must be available during business hours (M-F, 9am – 5pm) and flexible when dealing with crises or attending meetings outside of business hours.
• Excellent writing and communication skills and experience with Microsoft Office.