Progressive Life Center, Inc. (PLC) is a Black-led organization, providing culturally-sensitivity human services to children, youth and families in the District of Columbia and surrounding Maryland, throughout Greater Philadelphia, and in most of Delaware. PLC’s array of community-based services includes foster care and adoption, independent living for youth aging out of foster care, family preservation, juvenile diversion, and parenting skills training. For more than two decades, PLC has earned accreditation from the prestigious Council on Accreditation (COA) for its demonstration of excellence in the delivery of services and achievement of outcomes. Learn more at plcCommunity.org.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The Foster Care program provides comprehensive long-term temporary child placement services. Children from birth to twenty-years old are placed in the care of trained and certified families while they heal, adjust, and prepare for a permanent home.   While the program collaborates with our loving foster families to ensure that the welfare of each child in our care is the primary concern, the ultimate goal remains a permanent placement—reunification with a biological parent, adoption, or transition to independent.

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES

Manage assigned treatment foster homes and parents as the primary point of contact, maintaining accountability throughout recruitment, licensing, placement, support, renewal, corrective action, and closure.
Conduct comprehensive home studies and licensing assessments, including interviews, documentation review, background checks, environmental assessments, and evidence-based approval recommendations.
Ensure licensing and regulatory compliance by maintaining accurate records, tracking deadlines, completing proactive file reviews, and keeping files continuously audit-ready.
Conduct quarterly monitoring and home visits to assess safety, caregiver functioning, household conditions, compliance, training, and placement needs.
Identify and address compliance and safety concerns, develop corrective action plans, monitor resolution, and immediately escalate serious or unresolved issues.
Develop and implement foster-parent recruitment strategies based on placement needs, program capacity, retention, and growth goals.
Conduct community outreach and recruitment activities, including presentations, information sessions, open houses, and partnerships with community organizations.
Screen and support prospective foster parents by managing recruitment leads, initial screening, follow-up, and progression through orientation and licensing.
Develop and coordinate foster-parent training, including orientation, pre-service, annual, specialized, remedial, and placement-specific training.
Monitor and evaluate training compliance and effectiveness, maintain training records and provide coaching, technical assistance, and corrective education as needed.
Support foster-parent retention and development through communication, problem-solving, resources, recognition, and individualized support.
Support appropriate placement matching by maintaining current information regarding foster-parent strengths, preferences, capacity, household circumstances, and training needs.
Maintain accurate databases and documentation in FAMCare, CJAMS, and other designated systems.
Prepare licensing, recruitment, monitoring, compliance, and regulatory reports and provide leadership with updates on caseload activity and trends.
Coordinate foster-parent supports and program activities, including respite resources, recognition events, meetings, quality reviews, and planning.
Collaborate with program leadership and staff on placement decisions, caseload coverage, quality assurance, and operational needs.
Maintain direct accountability for assigned home studies, licensing decisions, foster homes, and regulatory requirements, regardless of administrative support.
Participate in scheduled bi-weekly supervisions with supervisor.
Attend and participate in required meetings.
Regularly monitor emerging social work trends, evidence-based practices, regulatory updates, professional standards, and developments in child welfare and behavioral health.
Participate in relevant training, professional development, conferences, webinars, and networking opportunities to maintain current knowledge and incorporate applicable practices into service delivery, foster-parent support, and program operations.
Perform other duties consistent with the position as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

Bachelor’s degree in social work or other related field from an accredited college/university; master’s degree preferred.
LBSW or LMSW licensure required.
Two (2) years of experience in child welfare, foster care, adoption, mental health, community organization, or related mental health field.
Experience engaging parents, volunteers, caregivers, and human services professionals for treatment foster care provider recruitment purposes and establishing professional relationships.
Experience completing home assessments, licensing reviews, compliance monitoring, case documentation, or related quality assurance activities.
Proficient verbal and written communication skills.
Obtain SAFE-C certification within three (3) months of hire and maintain the certification in good standing throughout employment.
Marketing, outreach, community engagement, or business development experience.
Experience utilizing MS Office Suite software, electronic record systems, and databases.
Valid driver's license, reliable transportation, and the ability to travel throughout the assigned region and to other PLC Maryland locations as needed.
Certification in NTU Service Delivery Model within one (1) year of hire.

BENEFITS

We offer exceptional benefits package with an opportunity for personal and professional growth, which include the following:

Health insurance
Dental insurance
Vision insurance
Retirement fund
Hybrid Work Schedule available after 90 days of on-site employment.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Must be able to remain in a stationary position 50% of the time.
Occasionally move about inside an office setting and travel throughout the community.
Frequently operates a computer and other office productivity machinery (i.e., a calculator, copy machine, mobile device and computer printer); Manual dexterity needed for using a mobile device, calculator and computer keyboard.
Must be able to position self to stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.
Must have ability to navigate stairwells.
The person in this position frequently communicates with employees/customers/clients; and must be able to exchange accurate information by perceiving the nature of sound, near and far vision, depth perception, providing oral and written information.
Occassiionally move files weighing up to 20 pounds throughout the office space.
Must be able to participate in fire drills or other drills during an emergency.
Must be available on call and often respond to situations during off hours which can disrupt normal sleep patterns and cause fatigue.
Must be able to face a significant amount of emotional stress which can cause related physical stress on muscles as well as other physical symptoms such as headaches and fatigue.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Normal office environment or residential facility, but also may travel locally to visit clients within their homes, meet with service providers, and/or attend meetings: schools, hospitals, mental health clinics, private practices, prisons, corporations, and numerous public and private agencies

Equal Opportunity Employer

PLC is an equal opportunity employer. PLC does not discriminate in employment on account of race, sex, color, religion, sexual orientation, parental status, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, political affiliation, military status, or other non-merit-based factors.