Family Services Specialist Ii, Kinship And Resource Family Development Specialist

An Overview
The job duties for this position are two-fold. First, this position provides formal agency support to relative caregivers of children in foster care. Kinship care refers to the care of children by relatives or close family friends (often referred to as fictive kin). Relatives and fictive kin are the preferred resource for children who must be removed from their birth parents because it helps maintain the children's connections with their families as well as their language and culture, increases stability, and minimizes the trauma of family separation. Kinship care is built upon an age-old, informal traditional practice. It is imperative that kinship caregivers have the supports they need when a child is placed in their care.