Family Services Specialist I - Kinship Coordinator

Salary : $51,001.60 Annually

Location : Lynchburg, VA

Job Type : Full-time

Job Number : 03485

Department : Human Services

Division : SS Client Services

Opening Date : 10 / 20 / 2025

Closing Date : 11 / 9 / 2025 11 : 59 PM Eastern

Description

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.

Essential 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 :

Minimum Education and Experience Required

Additional Requirements

The City offers an array of benefits combined with direct salary / wages in order to establish a total compensation package that supports the City's goals of attracting, rewarding, and retaining employees who are both representatives of the community and are also able to deliver exceptional services.

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

the City's contribution is based on a rate determined bi-annually by the VRS Board and employees pay 5% of base pay (pre-tax) towards their VRS benefit

Employees of the City of Lynchburg may also be eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program for federal student loans

Additional information about City benefits can be found on our and in the

01

Describe how your work experience and education directly relate to working with children and families involved in either a formal or informal kinship care arrangement. Be specific.

02

This position requires that you possess a Bachelor's degree from a four-year college or university in a Human Services field such as social work, sociology, or psychology. Please certify below that you possess such a degree.

03

While this job normally follows a Monday-Friday schedule, occasional evening and weekend work is required. Are you willing to work this type of schedule?

04

DMV Release Notice : This position requires a valid driver's license and acceptable driving history. I hereby certify that I have read the DMV Record Release Notice, and give the City permission to obtain my driving record.

05

If you answered in the above question that you currently possess a Virginia Driver's License, please provide your License Number.

06

(Current Out-of-State applicants and applicants who have had an Out-of-State Drivers License at any time in the last 3 years) : I agree to provide, WITHIN 2 WEEKS OF MY APPLICATION, a copy of my driving record from that state where I am currently licensed or have been licensed within the past 3 years. I will contact Human Resources within 2 weeks if I am unable to obtain my out of state driving record in that time. I understand that my application may not be considered for this position until I submit my out of state driving record.You can email this information to human.resources@lynchburgva.gov, or fax to 434-845-4304 or mail this information to Human Resources, 900 Church Street, Lynchburg VA 24504. Include the name of the position for which you are applying. If you have a driving record less than 30 days old you can upload as an attachment to your application.

Required Question