Family Worker

Overview

Who we are : Ampersand Families provides permanency and adoption services to older youth and families who face barriers to equity in child welfare, and champions systemic changes that advance belonging, dignity and hope. Ampersand Families strives to strategically address systemic inequity and barriers within the child welfare system, specifically for older youth, youth of color, sibling groups, and relatives and kin. We are seeking professionals who understand the profound impact that child welfare intervention has on the lives of children, youth and families.

Why you'll love working here : Ampersand Families is committed to doing our part to create a more equitable child welfare system. We provide equal employment opportunity for all persons regardless of race, color, religion, nationality, ethnic background, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, marital status, socio-economic status, status regarding public assistance, political affiliation, veteran status, other non-visible differences, and other protected attributes. Ampersand Families is proud to be an employer of choice with an organizational culture of excellence that embraces continual growth and learning, as well as collegial support and connection. We employ professionals who champion our core values of equity, belonging, dignity, hope, integrity, and leadership.

Pay & Benefits

Salary : $48,500-$62,000. We are committed to equitable hiring practices which includes offering the highest starting salary based on our agency's compensation philosophy, and we do not engage in salary negotiations at hiring. Ampersand Families has a competitive benefit package including Health, Dental, Vision, Life, and Long-term Disability Insurance, Simple IRA Plan, 20 Days of PTO (accrued per year; increases with each year of employment), 10 floating holidays plus Juneteenth and every other Election Day as office holidays, Paid Parental Leave, and an Emergency Medical Benefit bank for short term medical leave (8 days per calendar year, prorated based on start date). Social work licensure supervision is available on site. Before accepting an offer, candidates are given an opportunity to meet with current staff to get a further sense of the organizational culture and to ask any questions they may have.

What you'll be doing :

• The caseload of this position includes relative / kin and non-relative / kin families who want to be a placement or permanency resource to youth who have just been removed from their parents by child protective services.
• The Family Worker's role involves engaging, assessing, licensing for foster care, and supporting these families until the youth return home to their parents, or through the adoption process if reunification is not possible.
• The right person for this position has a deep commitment to helping relative / kin families successfully parent children and teens who have experienced trauma.
• There is potential for the person in this position to have impact on our agency's continuing advocacy to improve the experience of relatives and kin in the child welfare system, as well our agency's ongoing program development.
• This is a professional position requiring significant amount of self-direction, some irregular hours and occasional travel throughout the state of Minnesota.
• Engage families and facilitate the Minnesota Child Foster Care / Adoption licensure process, which involves paperwork, training, home safety processes, and home study assessment, among other requirements.
• Work closely to engage families with full disclosure, placement and on-going parenting commitment.
• Maintain a caseload of at least 10 families at various stages of the process, keeping in contact via phone, email, video calls, and in-person contact, which requires a relationship focused and strength based approach with clients who have faced barriers in navigating systems and process.
• Case management duties, specific to assisting families with various barriers, including housing, transportation, etc.
• Frequent and in-depth consultation with peers to develop strategies, promote creativity and maintain balance in this position which has a potential for high stress and emotional investment.
• Build relationships with other individuals, professionals, agencies, and resource partners involved in the lives of relative families to leverage those relationships to achieve permanency.
• Commit to taking time and asking questions to develop a deep understanding of the social and systemic influences that contribute to disparities and over-representation of older youth and families of color in the child welfare system.
• Family Workers spend much of their time in the field, driving to meet with families.
• A majority of clients for this position live in the greater metro area, but may live in any part of the state.
• Engaged participation during a six-month probation / onboarding period, which will include partnering with more experienced peers to develop a deep understanding of the role and the practice orientation of Ampersand Families.

What we're looking for :

How to apply : To apply, please send a resume and complete pre-interview questions here : https : / / ampersandfamilies.applytojob.com / apply / . As a part of our equitable hiring practices, we do not require a cover letter. An initial review of resumes will begin on September 22, 2025; however, the position will remain open until filled.

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