AGENCY DESCRIPTION:

AFFEC is a nonprofit organization located in Eugene, Oregon. AFFEC’S mission is to find loving, permanent families for every waiting foster child.

INTERN SUMMARY: As a Family Adoption Specialist you will be a representative for A Family For Every Child while working with families through the adoption process. You will need to be supportive, empathetic, diligent and proactive during this time. You can expect to help answer questions for these families, communicate with other agencies about children, as well as communicate with our Matching Assistance Coordinator weekly. As a Family Adoption Specialist you will conduct national child searches for assigned families twice a month; follow up on families’ submissions they make for children listed on the A Family for Every Child site; submit families’ home studies for children not listed on the A Family for Every Child site; review a family’s biography and provide suggestions for improvements; recruit for families; provide weekly check-ins with families via phone; alert families to matching events in their state and online; and provide support, guidance and resources to families as needed.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Under the supervision of the Matching Director, the intern/volunteer will:

• Support your families through their adoption journey. Stay in contact with your families regularly; check-in with your families via phone at least once a week.
• Send complete National Child Searches to assigned families twice a month.
• Be available to help answer questions about the adoption process including promotion, submission, selection, and placement.
• Provide suggestions for ways to improve their family biography and encourage participation in our recruitment services.
• Help your families become their own advocate during the process.
• Alert families to matching events in their state or online webinars to further their education.
• Send families’ biographies to Wendy’s Wonderful Kids recruiters in their state and surrounding states.
• Obtain caseworker contact information as required.
• Follow up with caseworkers on your families’ submissions bi-weekly.
• Submit the family’s home study as requested for children not listed on our site.
• Communicate with children’s caseworkers and families’ adoption workers as required.
• Keep family data updated and complete.
• Other tasks as required.

Initial phone call with introductions and discussion of family child preference
Weekly contact with families via phone and email
Bi-weekly contact with children’s caseworkers via phone and email