Why Becoming a Social Worker for Children in Illinois Foster Care May Be Perfect for You

At SOS Children’s Villages Illinois, our case management team consisting of Child Welfare Specialists and Child Welfare Supervisors is essential to ensuring that each child and family we serve has the support they need. Whether working alongside court systems, mediating between biological and Foster Parents, or hitting milestones towards reaching a child’s permanency goals, these trained social workers in foster care provide the crucial backbone our organization needs to thrive. We invite you to begin or continue your career in social work by joining our growing team.

Social Workers Matter for Children in Foster Care

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, social work is one of the fastest-growing fields in the U.S., though the number of social workers is still outpaced by the demand for their services in some places. This is especially true within the foster care system, which has over 450,000 children to serve in the United States.

Additionally, children and families within the U.S. foster care system are often tasked with overcoming major personal and systemic issues, including substance abuse, hunger and food insecurity, crime, incarceration, homelessness, and more. Whether healing from or navigating through these various issues, social workers in foster care provide needed protection and support. Research shows that stability in case management for children in foster care leads to quicker placements in forever homes, more successful returns to biological families, and overall stronger long-term success rates.

At SOS Children’s Villages Illinois, this crucial support comes in the form of our Child Welfare Specialists and Child Welfare Supervisors who serve as passionate, skillful advocates for the children and families they serve.

What are the Qualifications to Become a Social Worker in Foster Care?

Becoming a social worker within the U.S. foster care system requires various levels of education, practicum experience, and other factors that vary by state. For example, becoming a social worker in the Illinois foster care system has requirements that may be different for surrounding states. At SOS Children’s Villages Illinois, we ensure that each Child Welfare Specialist and Child Welfare Supervisor we hire not only meet the basic qualifications for the position but demonstrate a strong desire to work among the challenges and rewards of the foster care system.

Some qualifications for becoming a Child Welfare Specialist at SOS Illinois include a bachelor’s degree in social work, psychology, or a related field; one year of child welfare experience; a valid driver’s license; the ability to pass DCFS required criminal background check; and DCFS Child Welfare Employee Licensure.

In addition to these requirements, Child Welfare Supervisors, who provide the vital support and mentorship needed by Child Welfare Specialists, must have a master’s degree in social work, psychology, or a related field; and at least three years of child welfare supervision experience or five years of serving in a child welfare position.

You can read about the full requirements of our Child Welfare Specialists and Child Welfare Supervisors on our career site.

What are the Benefits of Becoming a Child Welfare Specialist at SOS Children’s Villages Illinois?

Beginning or continuing your social work career at SOS Children’s Villages Illinois offers several, unique benefits that may not be available through other agencies and organizations. Among these are:

1. Servicing on-site children and families: As part of our unique model of care, Child Welfare Specialists serve children right in one of our Villages, where the children live in single-family homes with their siblings under the care of a full-time, professional Foster Parent. For a Child Welfare Specialist, this means not having to commute from client to client, and being able to provide services to a family just steps away from their office. For Child Welfare Supervisors, this means being able to provide more hands-on support to their team and being able to step in when necessary to provide advice or counseling during a situation.

• Ability to partner with on-site clinicians: As many of the children at SOS Illinois receive services through one of our clinical therapists, Child Welfare Specialists and Supervisors are able to work directly with these clinicians to address the needs of a child from all angles.

• Village and organizational resources: In addition to on-site clinical therapists, each of our Villages is staffed with an administrative team, an Activities and Education coordinator, quality and training staff, volunteer tutors, and more. Each of these resources not only provides essentially programming and resources to our children and families, but provides peer support and engagement for our Child Welfare Specialists and Supervisors. Through agency-wide programs, such as our Annual All-Village Graduation Celebration, SOS Illinois social workers are able to interact and network with our team of over 100 diverse staff members.

In addition to these unique opportunities for those pursuing their social work career at SOS Children’s Villages Illinois, our Child Welfare Specialists and Supervisors receive a salary and comprehensive benefits, including medical, dental, and vision care; disability benefits; vacation, sick, and personal time; paid holidays; opportunities for tuition reimbursement; and more.

How You Can Learn More about Becoming a Social Worker for Children in Foster Care

Interested in hearing more about our Child Welfare Specialist and Child Welfare Supervisor positions? Full position descriptions can be found on our career site, and our Recruitment team is available to answer additional questions you may have. You may contact our team at 312-372-8200 or by emailing kbalk@sosillinois.org.

Ready to begin transforming the lives of children in Illinois foster care? Easily apply online today.