Foster Parent Development Specialist

Overview

Some careers are just jobs. This one is different. At Pinnacle Family Services, the work you do every day has a real and lasting impact on children and families who need it most.

For over 30 years, we've provided evidence-based therapeutic foster care and behavioral health services to at-risk youth across North Carolina and South Carolina — specializing in serving children who have experienced trauma, loss, abuse, or neglect. Our approach is trauma-informed and relationship-focused, because we know that healing happens through connection.

When you join Pinnacle, you're not just joining an organization — you're joining a community of professionals who show up every day because they genuinely believe in this work.

Pinnacle Family Services is part of Health Connect America, a COA-accredited family of behavioral health brands serving children, families, and adults across nine states. That means you'll have the close-knit culture and mission focus of a team that's been doing this work for decades, backed by the resources, clinical infrastructure, and organizational support to help you do it well. Every program across our network shares the same commitment — compassionate, client-centered care that meets people where they are and walks alongside them toward something better.

Come make a difference and grow with us.

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Responsibilities

You know what children and families need. Now, help build families who make that support possible.

If working with children and families’ feels like more than a job—if it feels like your calling—this could be your next step.

As a Foster Parent Development Specialist with Health Connect America, you’ll use your experience with children, families, and foster parents to make a broader impact. You’ll recruit and develop foster families, guide prospective parents through licensing, provide training and support, and build community connections that help children find safe, nurturing homes.

This role can be a natural next step for a Foster Care Case Manager, Family Support Services professional, child welfare professional, or behavioral health professional ready to expand their impact and take the next step in their career.

What You’ll Do

• Recruit and connect with prospective foster families through community outreach, presentations, networking, referrals, and one-on-one conversations—helping individuals discover their opportunity to make a lasting difference in a child’s life.
• Guide prospective foster parents from inquiry through licensure, coordinating applications, background checks, training, home study requirements, documentation, and approval.
• Lead training and educational opportunities that prepare foster parents to understand the realities of foster care and confidently meet the needs of children and youth.
• Develop and support foster families ongoing through relationship-building, coaching, resources, compliance, and problem-solving.
• Manage licensing, documentation, and compliance requirements by maintaining accurate records, completing required background checks and documentation, and ensuring foster homes meet all applicable regulatory and program standards.
• Build community partnerships by increasing awareness of foster care needs and opportunities while strengthening the network of safe, stable, and nurturing homes available to children.

Qualifications

You might be a great fit if:

• You’re a Foster Care Case Manager ready for your next chapter. You know the system and want to expand your impact beyond individual cases.
• You’re a natural relationship builder. You enjoy meeting people, speaking with groups, and building trust.
• You’re the person people go to with questions. You’re good at explaining complex information, coaching others, and helping people feel prepared.
• You believe foster care is more than finding an available bed. You understand that the right foster family can change a child’s life.
• You’re ready to use your experience in a new way. Your background may be in foster care, child welfare, family services, behavioral health, or another child- and family-serving field.
• You find purpose in helping others succeed. You want to equip foster parents with the tools and confidence to make a difference.

What You Bring:

• Bachelor's Degree required — in Human Services with a minimum of two years of experience working with youth or families, or in a non-Human Services field with a minimum of four years of experience working with youth or families
• Must meet qualifications as a Qualified Professional (QP) with experience serving children and adolescents with a primary mental health diagnosis
• Strong communication, public speaking, organization, and documentation skills.
• Ability to build relationships with foster parents, community partners, and internal teams.
• Knowledge of family systems, systems of care, and community resources.
• Ability to work independently, manage multiple priorities, and solve problems proactively.
• Valid driver’s license, reliable transportation, and automobile insurance in good standing.

You already know why this work matters. Now, use that experience to recruit, develop, and support the families who make successful foster care possible.

Grow your skills in Recruitment. Training. Family Development. Community Engagement. Program Growth.

Use your knowledge. Your relationships. Your passion. Turn your experience into stronger families and brighter futures for children.

If you’re ready for what’s next, we’re ready to meet you. Apply now to be part of our community at Pinnacle Family Services, part of Health Connect America.

Employment at Health Connect America and it's companies is contingent upon meeting the requirements of a comprehensive background investigation prior to joining our team.

Health Connect America and its companies are an Equal Opportunity Employer and consider applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, orientation, national origin, age, disability, genetics, or any other basis forbidden under federal, state, or local law. For more information on Equal Opportunity, please click here Equal Employment Opportunity Posters