Job Description

Brightpoint invites you to join our team of mission-driven staff who share a common vision: an equitable world where all children and families thrive in strong communities. As a leader in the human services sector for 140 years, we aim to advance the well-being of children by investing in families and strengthening communities through data-informed, collaborative, and preventative solutions.

The Program Supervisor of Licensing is a critical member of both the region’s child welfare team, as well as the agency’s broader leadership team, working collaboratively within and across programs to ensure a relentless focus on keeping children safe and supporting families. The Program Supervisor of Licensing supervises licensing team activities, including foster home recruitment, foster parent training and development, and the licensing of foster homes. Additionally, the Program Supervisor will provide guidance and support to Licensing and Family Finding Specialists to ensure effective and timely completion of team responsibilities.

Candidate qualifications:

• Master’s Degree in Social Work or a closely related field required.
• At least three years of experience in licensing and monitoring of foster homes required.
• Child Welfare Employee License (CWEL), Child Endangerment Risk Assessment Protocol (CERAP), and Child Abuse and Neglect (CANS) certification required, or ability to obtain within 90 days of hire.
• Ability to attend in-person meetings and events as needed required.
• Valid driver's license, insurance, and a reliable vehicle required.
• Training experience preferred.

What You'll Do:

• Work closely with DCFS and Brightpoint teams to ensure performance standards are being met; develop methods to enhance the quality of services and improve the ability of the program to identify and address individual training and consultation needs.
• Provide task supervision for the licensing team; facilitating team meetings and training new Licensing Specialists.
• Supervise licensing and family finding staff, including implementing the agency's personnel policies and practices. This includes hiring, performance appraisals, leaves, promotions, salary changes, terminations, and documentation of personnel actions.
• Coordinate with regional program leadership to ensure coordination of efforts with all foster care department functions, including caregiver support, family support, case management, family finding, and licensing.
• Oversee, and maintain the Family Finding program, including training, assigning, supervising, and supporting Family Finding Specialists.
• Support activities and outreach to locate and engage familial supports and connections for youth in care.
• Monitor and ensure all family finding contacts are documented in accordance with agency and regulatory requirements.
• Foster communication and engagement with the Child & Family Team.
• Write, review and approve licensing home studies, licensing applications, enforcement reports and licensing investigations.
• Regularly monitor licensing files to ensure quality.
• Collect and maintain data on program activities for internal and external reporting purposes.
• Develop and implement training program for foster parents, utilizing both internal and external resources.
• Recruit individuals and families as potential foster parents for the Traditional, Specialized and/or Sibling Foster Care programs.
• Provide coverage and back up for team, which may require home visits, placements, etc.
• Develop and execute written foster home recruitment plans to meet program needs.
• Provide regular reports regarding foster home recruitment and licensing activities.
• Maintain caregiver files and records per DCFS rules, regulations and procedures.
• Perform monitoring functions related to licensing requirements for foster homes in the Traditional, Specialized, Siblings and/or Treatment Foster Care Programs.
• Participate in regular supervision and staff meetings as required by department.

• Compensation: Range is between $72k-$76k, offers are commensurate with experience. The salary range provided represents our current estimate for this role at the time of posting and is subject to change. The final salary will be determined based on a range of factors, including but not limited to, a candidate's relevant experience, education, qualifications, skills, certifications, and alignment with organizational needs. We are dedicated to fair and equitable compensation practices and are committed to fostering a diverse workforce while providing equal opportunities for all candidates.
• Benefits: Medical/dental/vision insurance, 3+ weeks paid time off in the first year including the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day (PTO increases with tenure); 11 paid holidays, supplemental insurance options, 401(k) with match ( more benefits details here).
• Location: Hybrid (remote/in office), must be within reasonable driving distance to Chicago, IL.
• Schedule: Full-time, salaried; general business hours with some flexibility required for on-call responsibility and special projects.
• We don’t just hire talent—we grow it: Emerging Leaders will have access to leadership development opportunities and one-on-one mentorship.
• Student Loan Forgiveness: Brightpoint is an approved agency for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)