Family Services Specialist I - Kinship Coordinator chez City of Lynchburg, VA

About the Department

The City of Lynchburg is an Equal Opportunity Employer

The City of Lynchburg Department of Social Services is seeking a motivated and compassionate professional to join our Foster Care & Adoption team as a Kinship Coordinator.

This position plays a key role in strengthening the agency’s “Kin First” culture by helping children remain safely connected to their families whenever possible. The Kinship Coordinator acts as a liaison between kinship foster families and Family Services Specialists, ensuring families receive the guidance and support they need throughout the certification and placement process.

The Coordinator is responsible for recruiting, assessing, training, certifying, and supporting kinship foster families for the City of Lynchburg. This includes completing background checks, conducting home studies and assessments, providing training, and maintaining ongoing communication with families to ensure children are placed in safe, nurturing environments. The Coordinator also provides education to the community about kinship care and its benefits through outreach events and presentations.

This position requires flexibility, strong interpersonal skills, and the ability to work independently and collaboratively within a team environment.

Salary and Benefits
Salary:  base hourly rate is $24.52 and annual start pay is $51,001.60.
Career Growth: Opportunities for advancement through the City’s pay progression plan.
Benefits: Comprehensive benefits package including paid parental leave, health insurance, retirement options, and generous leave accruals.

Position Duties

• Completes the full certification process for kinship foster parents, including identification, home assessment, emergency approval, referrals for training, Mutual Family Assessments, and ongoing support.
• Provides referrals for pre-service, ongoing, and annual training for resource families to ensure compliance with state and local guidelines.
• Maintains detailed records, quarterly status reports, and files related to foster and kinship home certification.
• Monitors compliance with local and state regulations; responds to alerts and implements policy or procedural updates as required.
• Serves as case manager and support person for certified kinship foster families, ensuring they receive the necessary resources, assistance, and ongoing training.
• Provides crisis intervention and assists families in identifying and addressing barriers to stability and permanency.
• Participates in complex decision-making regarding placement, service delivery, and family support.
• Represents the agency in court proceedings, providing documentation, assessments, and professional recommendations as needed.
• Collaborates with community agencies, service providers, and schools to coordinate services and supports for children and families.
• Promotes kinship care through recruitment events, presentations, and public education efforts.
• Manages kinship ICPC (Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children) cases as assigned.
• Assists in evaluating programs and services to improve outcomes for families and children.
• Participates in interagency and community meetings such as FAPT, eligibility, or IEP meetings when needed.
• May assist with emergency shelter operations or special assignments during declared emergencies.
• This position includes both office and field work. Home visits, community presentations, and collaboration with other agencies are routine. Occasional evening and weekend work is required. 
• Flexibility is required. Training sessions for families are occasionally held in the evenings, after hour home visits may also occur occasionally.

Additional Duties:

• Other duties to provide direct or indirect service to the citizens may be assigned.
• When unusual situations occur and/or the City Manager declares a State of Emergency, all City employees may be required to accept special assignments and perform as needed to ensure appropriate service delivery.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, Sociology, Psychology, or another human services field is required. Applicants in their final semester of a qualifying degree program may also be considered.
• Experience with working with children and families in foster care, kinship care, or related child welfare services preferred.
• Experience in conducting assessments, training, and supporting resource families is highly desirable.
• Understanding of trauma-informed care, grief and loss, child and family development, and family systems.
• Strong communication, conflict resolution, and crisis intervention skills.
• Excellent organization, documentation, and time management abilities.
• Ability to work effectively with diverse families, community partners, and professional staff.

Other Qualifications

• Possess a valid driver's license issued by the Commonwealth of Virginia and an acceptable driving record according to the City's driving criteria.
• Must satisfactorily complete criminal background check, drug and alcohol screen, and Child Protective Services Registry check.
• Must successfully complete IS100 and IS700 National Incident Management (NIMS) training within 90 days of employment.  May also be required to complete higher levels of NIMS training as determined appropriate for the position.

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