What are the responsibilities and job description for the Adoption & Kin Gap Coordinator position at Good Shepherd Services?
Job Title: Adoption & Kin Gap Coordinator
Reports to: Permanency Supervisor
Location: 7 West Burnside Avenue, 3 rd Floor, Bronx, New York 10453
Hours: 35 Hours/Week; Non-Exempt (Position requires staff to be onsite unless otherwise noted by Program Leadership)
Job Summary: Ensure that all of the agency’s children with the permanency goal of adoption and kin gap achieve this plan as quickly as possible. Ensure that all children with the goal of adoption and kingap achieve the goal while working in conjunction with various departments within Good Shepherd Services, Family Court system, ACS and Attorneys to overcome any barriers.
Duties
Major Duties:
Reports to: Permanency Supervisor
Location: 7 West Burnside Avenue, 3 rd Floor, Bronx, New York 10453
Hours: 35 Hours/Week; Non-Exempt (Position requires staff to be onsite unless otherwise noted by Program Leadership)
Job Summary: Ensure that all of the agency’s children with the permanency goal of adoption and kin gap achieve this plan as quickly as possible. Ensure that all children with the goal of adoption and kingap achieve the goal while working in conjunction with various departments within Good Shepherd Services, Family Court system, ACS and Attorneys to overcome any barriers.
Duties
Major Duties:
- Supervise and assist with the preparation up of legal documents and necessary reports for adoption finalization.
- Submit all necessary reports and documents to adoptive parent’s lawyer, family court for adoption and Kingap finalization.
- Request medical reports, putative father registry, State Central Register clearances. Work with GSS paralegal and medical department to obtain all necessary documents needed to finalize adoptions and Kingaps.
- Attend appropriate meetings with ACS and OFCS and outside organizations.
- Enter adoption activities in CNNX and EVOLV
- Enter adoption and kingap activities in Connections
- Apply for adoption subsidy and medical eligibility for qualifying children. Maintain tracking and be up to date on all adoption subsidy requests.
- Work with GSS medical department in an effort to obtain required documentation to finalize adoption subsidy board rates and adoption subsidies are approved on a timely basis.
- Maintain updated Kingap and Adoption tracking to ensure that progress and barriers for each case is fully documented.
- Coordinate the photo listing process to ensure compliance with registration requirements ensuring that all children required to be photo listed in the OCFS Adoption Album are kept up to date.
- Keep records of all children placed and all children photo listed.
- Attend Adoption/ KinGap Conferences and Red Flags in order to work on the barriers in order to reach permanency.
- Write Affidavits to the courts when requested.
- Maintain constant communication with foster parents and case planning team on the status of both adoptions and KinGaps.
- Provide orientation of the Adoption Department and conduct lunch and learns/trainings to case planning staff.
- Conduct field work to meet with foster/adoptive parents in order to obtain documentation needed to completed packages
- Attend appointments with notary public while exam hasn’t been taken
- Responsible for the completion of KinGap applications and ensuring that it is submitted to ACS on a timely manner after receiving referral from case planning team.
- Obtaining all of the documentation required to submit a KinGap application.
- Prepare and maintain closed adoption files and tracking
- Address and refer appropriate post adoption referrals as needed
- Perform other duties as assigned.
- Bachelor's Degree is Required
- Notary License Required (or will need to acquire within 6 months of hire)
- Bilingual/Spanish Required
- Must have experience and/or knowledge of Child Welfare
- Must have strong writing and communication skills.
- Must have a commitment to work from a strength based and/or youth development perspective.