Wendy's Wonderful Kids Recruiter

Description

The Wendy's Wonderful Kids (WWK) Caseworker position drives permanency for children awaiting adoption by assessing readiness, identifying meaningful connections, and matching them with safe, supportive families. Using the Wendy’s Wonderful Kids model, the recruiter conducts targeted child-focused recruitment, engages kin and potential adoptive families, and builds public awareness through outreach and social media. The position collaborates closely with caseworkers, maintains thorough documentation, supports grant requirements for the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption, and participates in key events like National Adoption Month. This position may require flexible hours to include evenings and weekends to ensure prompt service delivery to children and families. 

 

Duties

40% Review all available case record materials related to child awaiting adoption or needing a permanency connection.  Assess readiness of child for adoption in collaboration with other agency staff and providers.  Screen home assessments received as possible “match” for child to be adopted.   Participate in matching conferences to seek to identify an appropriate “match” for abused, neglected and/or maltreated children entering adoptive placement.  Face to face meetings with children freed for adoption. Identify individuals of importance for children on caseload.  Initiate contacts with parties interested in waiting children or with potential permanency connections. Complete family finding and engage potential kinship connections. Participate in case reviews and semi-annual reviews for children on assigned Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Recruiter caseload.   Collaborate with primary caseworker and supervisor in assessing child readiness for adoption.

40% Plan, implement & evaluate foster parent adoption and adoption recruitment activities using the Dave Thomas Foundation, Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Model (eg., identify needs, respond to and/or investigate inquiries, conduct home visits).   Increase public awareness (eg., utilize social media, develop and evaluate recruitment materials, advertisements, fliers, inquiry packets and public presentations).  Recruit locally, statewide and nationally for waiting children.   Assure collaboration with entire child serving team.  Assure timely communication and follow up with all individuals inquiring about an available child.

20% Maintain case records & supporting documentation (eg., home study reports, child study inventories and updates, child specific recruitment materials, etc.).  
Collaborate with supervisor to complete all required grant documentation and activities as identified by the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.  Participate in on-going training, supervisory/staff meetings, staff consultations and other related management support tasks.  Provide after work hours and weekend services as needed.  Participate in National Adoption Month, Dave Thomas Foundation and Wendy’s Wonderful Kids activities as required.  Provide any information needed for grantee reporting and be responsible for data. 

Qualifications

Per Section 5153.112 of the Ohio Revised Code, applicants of a Public Children Services unit must have one of the following:
1. A bachelor’s degree in human services-related studies, or
2. A bachelor’s degree in any field and have been employed for at least two years in a human services occupation, or 
3. An associate’s degree in human services-related studies, or
4. Been employed for at least five years in a human service-related occupation.

For employment to continue, a person described in Option 2, 3, or 4 above must obtain a job-related bachelor’s degree not later than five years after the date employment with the agency commences.

Per Section 5153.122 of the Ohio Revised Code, each caseworker shall complete at least ninety hours of in-service training during the first year of the caseworker’s continuous employment, consisting of courses in recognizing and preventing child abuse and neglect, assessing risks, interviewing persons, investigating cases, intervening, providing services to children and their families, and other topics relevant to child abuse and neglect. After the first year of continuous employment, each caseworker annually shall complete thirty-six hours of training in areas relevant to the caseworker’s assigned duties.  In addition, applicant must have valid driver’s license.

Applicants may first be required to complete a Case Worker in Training onboarding process for a period up to 6 weeks.

In addition, applicant must have valid driver's license.

Supplemental Information

The position possesses responsibility for the safety of children or adults by requiring the incumbent to make determinations as to whether these children or adults are in an "imminent risk of harm.” These children and adults are incapable of protecting themselves from physical, mental, and/or sexual abuse. Injuries, if they do occur are likely to involve temporary disabilities such as bruises or cuts. Serious mistakes in terms of failing to remove children or adults from homes could conceivably, although extremely infrequent, cause death (e.g., suicide) or a permanent disability. Additionally, the position involves performing duties which require taking some special safety precautions, such as when contacting and negotiating with a family suspected of child abuse or neglect. However, performing this duty does not require the use of 

protective clothing. Exposure to these situations is likely to result in threats of injury, which are rarely acted upon. However, the position involves regular exposure to environmental factors (e.g., cold, excessive heat, noise, fumes, vibration, dirt) during interviews and meetings conducted outside of the office. The position may involve lifting or carrying children, and exposure to contagious diseases.