Family and Community Support Specialist

COLUMBUS, OH 43229

• Salary Range: $21.15 - $21.15 Hourly

Family and Community Support Specialist

Columbus, OH · Full-Time

Action for Children is the local childcare resource and referral agency in Central Ohio. Our mission is to transform the lives of children by supporting, empowering, and advocating for the adults who make the biggest impact on children’s lives—their parents, caregivers, and teachers.

We foster a supportive, collaborative, and mission-driven culture where staff are encouraged to bring their whole selves to work, grow professionally, and contribute meaningfully to the well-being of families and communities.

Learn more at actionforchildren.org

In this role, you’ll establish and maintain working relationships in the community to collaborate on recruitment and retention strategies that increase the capacity of the children’s services workforce. You’ll implement activities to recruit and engage foster/adoptive caregivers and provide ongoing support to providers and families navigating foster/adoptive and kinship care programs. This role involves travel throughout Central Ohio.

• Present to children services agencies, legislators, parents, and community partners to spread awareness, generate referrals, and cultivate relationships
• Organize and lead monthly meetings to build strong relationships and advocate for the children’s services system
• Recruit potential foster/adoptive caregivers and complete initial screenings to identify qualified candidates to refer for final approval
• Coordinate special events such as workshops, fairs, and presentations, including staffing, setup, and materials, with other team members
• Develop, implement, and evaluate an outreach plan, staying informed of children services policy and procedure changes and community resources to share with caregivers, families, and partners
• Respond to questions and information requests from providers, families, and community agencies by phone, email, and committee meetings, with up-to-date information and connections to community resources
• Keep records of outreach activities and prepare reports as needed, including AFC’s quarterly and annual reports
• Work with leadership to create promotional materials such as fliers, newsletters, and website and social media content when needed
• Work occasional evenings and weekends to support program and community needs

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Social Work, or a related field, or equivalent experience
• Knowledge of local community resources and experience with local children services and the foster care system
• Ability to interact with families of different backgrounds and cultures
• Ability to make public presentations and interact with service professionals
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and assignments, and keep timely, accurate records and data for program reporting
• Proficiency with technology and experience with Microsoft Office Suite
• Valid driver’s license and car insurance, with access to your own transportation
• Understanding of how intersecting systems of racial, gender, and class discrimination shape conditions for early childhood educators, childcare programs, and the children and families they serve

You’re a connector who builds trust with caregivers, agencies, and community partners, and you care about strengthening the children’s services system. You stay organized across many moving pieces and are comfortable presenting to a range of audiences and traveling throughout Central Ohio.

• Health coverage — Health, dental, and vision insurance starting the first of the month after 30 days
• Generous PTO — Vacation days, sick days, personal days, paid holidays, and floating holidays
• Hybrid schedule — Mix of remote and in-office workdays
• Retirement savings — Employer match up to 1%
• Paid parental leave — 12 weeks fully paid for birth, adoption, and foster placements

Apply online at Job Opportunities. Only candidates selected for interviews will be contacted. Final candidates will complete reference and background checks.

Action for Children is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, or disability status.