Homefinding Program Manager

You Gotta Believe (YGB) is a New York City-based, national organization specializing in finding permanent families for young adults, teens, and pre-teens in foster care. YGB focuses exclusively on preventing youth from aging out of foster care without family; thus reducing the risk of homelessness, incarceration, and poverty due to a lack of stable connections. Founded in 1995, YGB achieves this mission by collaborating with foster care organizations to recruit, match, and provide indefinite, comprehensive support to adoptive foster parents and youth.

YGB’s Adoption and Homefinding Program trains, matches, and supports parents adopting youth from foster care. These homes are supervised by YGB under contract with the referring county or state.
 

As the Homefinding Program Manager at You Gotta Believe, you will lead a comprehensive array of initiatives aimed at finding safe and loving homes for children and youth in need of adoption from foster care. Your responsibilities encompass overseeing every aspect of the home finding process, from parent recruitment and comprehensive MAPP training to conducting thorough home studies and facilitating the licensing and certification procedures. You will play a pivotal role in ensuring their smooth transition into suitable family environments through diligent searching and matching procedures.

Beyond operational tasks, you will serve as one of the primary representatives of You Gotta Believe within the community and among partner agencies, advocating for issues pertaining to the recruitment, retention, and training of adoptive parents. Cultivating and maintaining strong relationships with adoption units across New York State counties and beyond will be crucial as you collaborate on the identification and matching of waiting youth with prospective families.
 

In addition to managerial duties, you will provide direct supervision to the homefinding team, fostering their professional growth and ensuring the efficiency and effectiveness of the team's operations. Overall, as the Homefinding Program Manager, you will embody the mission and values of You Gotta Believe, making a tangible difference in the lives of vulnerable youth and families every day.
 

Responsibilities:

• Facilitate adoptive parent recruitment through various avenues such as leveraging existing connections to obtain referrals, engaging in community outreach efforts, collaborating with external networks and organizations, conducting preliminary home visits and orientations, and actively participating in initiatives aimed at fostering retention among current adoptive families. 

• Manage and coordinate Adoptive Parent initial training programs, including orientations and MAPP (Model Approach to Partnerships in Parenting)
• Supervise the maintenance of parent records in compliance with state regulations.

• Oversee the licensing process to ensure compliance with ACS, State, and Federal regulations, including initial certification, approval, and recertification of Foster/Adoptive Homes.
• Assign and occasionally conduct initial home visits for new homes and annual recertifications, ensuring adherence to safety standards and regulatory guidelines; assign and occasionally complete home studies
• Ensure accurate data collection and maintenance of prospective adoptive parent information in systems of record.
• Maintain open and timely communication with families throughout the licensing process, providing necessary information and feedback from initial inquiry to placement.

• Cultivate and manage relationships with external counties and states to facilitate the recruitment of children for placement with You Gotta Believe certified parents.
• Oversee the matching process of children with suitable adoptive families, participating in disclosure meetings and assessments
• Oversee the transfer of cases or foster homes between internal and external agencies, including completing the ICPC process for out of state placements.

Other

• Represent the agency at external meetings and conferences related to foster parent recruitment and training initiatives.
• Manage all contracts for the placement of children and Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC) work for out-of-state placements.
• Fulfill all obligations related to annual New York State foster/adoption reports.
• Perform any other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Lived experience as a member of the adoption triad (birth parent, adoptive parent, or adopted person), or lived experience in the foster care system (foster parent or foster youth) required.
• Combination of experience and degree will be considered. Master’s degree preferred, BA degree acceptable.
• Knowledge and experience in the area of child welfare.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to prioritize tasks and manage time effectively.
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and other relevant software applications.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision and as part of a team.
• Commitment to maintaining confidentiality and handling sensitive information with discretion.
• Flexibility and adaptability to changing priorities and deadlines.

WE OFFER. Benefits include medical, dental, life insurance, and 403(b) retirement plan; 3 weeks of vacation (plus the week between Christmas and New Year’s) and holidays.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS. The position primarily involves traveling in the inner city, standing for two hours or more for workshops and presentations, and computer-based work from a seated position.

COMPENSATION. The compensation range for this position is $60,000- $65,000 and is commensurate with experience.

LOCATION. This position is in New York City and will have a hybrid work arrangement, with at least two days a week in a Harlem or Midtown office.

WE BELIEVE IN EQUAL EMPLOYMENT. You Gotta Believe is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants and employees shall not be discriminated against because of race, religion, sex, national origin, ethnicity, age, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation, gender (including pregnancy and gender expression) identity, color, marital status, veteran status, medical condition, or any other classification protected by federal, state, or local law or ordinance. Reasonable accommodation will be made so that qualified differently abled applicants may participate in the application process. Please advise in writing of special needs at the time of application.

You Gotta Believe (YGB) is a New York City-based, national organization specializing in finding permanent families for young adults, teens, and pre-teens in foster care. YGB focuses exclusively on preventing youth from aging out of foster care without family; thus reducing the risk of homelessness, incarceration, and poverty due to a lack of stable connections. Founded in 1995, YGB achieves this mission by collaborating with foster care organizations to recruit, match, and provide indefinite, comprehensive support to adoptive foster parents and youth.

WE BELIEVE IN EQUAL EMPLOYMENT. You Gotta Believe is an equal-opportunity employer. Applicants and employees shall not be discriminated against because of race, religion, sex, national origin, ethnicity, age, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation, gender (including pregnancy and gender expression) identity, color, marital status, veteran status, medical condition, or any other classification protected by federal, state, or local law or ordinance. Reasonable accommodation will be made so that qualified differently abled applicants may participate in the application process. Please advise in writing of special needs at the time of application.

For more information on our organization, please visit www.yougottabelieve.org.