Group Receiving Care (GRC) Home Program Manager

The Group Receiving Care (GRC) Home Program Manager leads the day-to-day operation of Fosterful's newest residential program: a licensed, trauma-informed receiving home that provides short-term, 24-hour emergency placement for children entering out-of-home care (or experiencing a placement disruption).

Reporting to the Executive Director and Director of Operations, the Program Manager is typically onsite at the facility during business hours whenever children are present, and available by phone at all other times. The Program Manager holds day-to-day accountability for DCYF contract compliance, 24/7 staffing coverage, direct care staff supervision, and the delivery of safe, culturally responsive, healing-centered care. This is a hands-on leadership role that requires building and sustaining a residential culture rooted in safety, belonging, and dignity for children during one of the most vulnerable moments of their lives. The role also requires comfort working in — and regularly moving through — a multi-level home with no elevator; see Physical Demands & Work Environment below.

1. Program Operations & DCYF Contract Compliance

• Oversee all GRC Home operations to ensure full compliance with the DCYF Group Receiving Care contract, including maintaining 24/7 availability to receive referrals and responding to placement requests in writing within two (2) hours of receipt.

• Maintain required staffing ratios: one (1) staff to three (3) children during day and evening shifts, and a minimum of two (2) awake staff during overnight shifts (10:00 PM–8:00 AM).

• Ensure the home achieves and sustains the required 85% DCYF referral acceptance rate each month; track and report bed utilization, occupancy, and placement outcomes.

• Monitor census daily to ensure the facility remains within all licensed capacity limits, documenting any referral denial tied to capacity as a non-counted denial against the acceptance rate.

• Serve as the point of consultation before any refusal to admit or retain a child on safety grounds, coordinating with the DCYF Social Service Specialist and documenting the basis for the decision.

• Request and document any overnight staffing exception in writing to the assigned DCYF Program Manager before the next overnight shift (not to exceed 12 consecutive days, or 36 cumulative days annually).

• Serve as Fosterful's primary point of contact for DCYF communications during business hours; after-hours staff will notify the Program Manager of DCYF Regional Intake contacts made outside business hours.

• Monitor and maintain compliance with all contract exhibits, program requirements, and WAC 110-145 licensing standards, coordinating with the Director of Operations on corrective actions as needed.

2. Team Hiring, Supervision & Development

• Recruit, hire, onboard, and supervise all Direct Care Staff, ensuring completion of required pre-service training (minimum 16 hours) before independent work with children, including trauma-informed care, mandated reporting, behavior management, and culturally responsive/LGBTQIA+-affirming practice.

• Provide monthly practice supervision to all Direct Care staff, covering service expectations, safety response, trauma-informed emotional support, professional boundaries, and culturally responsive/SOGIE-affirming care; document each session (date, topics, action items, resolution).

• Develop and maintain a staff schedule ensuring continuous 24/7 coverage across all shifts, including holidays and unanticipated absences.

• Conduct 90 day and annual performance evaluations, identify professional development needs, and maintain accountability standards aligned with Fosterful's values.

• Verify and document completion of all required training (pre-service, in-service, annual 24-hour ongoing training, bloodborne pathogens, CPR/First Aid, mandated reporter, confidentiality) in each staff member's training file.

3. Trauma-Informed Environment & Therapeutic Programming

• Champion and sustain the trauma-informed design of the physical environment and program culture, prioritizing physical and psychological safety, choice, and child agency at all times.

• Oversee coordination and delivery of regular alternative therapies (art and music therapy), scheduling providers, ensuring attendance, and tracking outcomes.

• Coordinate case consultation with a grief counselor, when appropriate, ensuring staff have guidance on supporting children presenting with complex grief, loss, and acute trauma.

• Approve and annually review the facility's individualized Technology Use Policy, ensuring it distinguishes safety-based restrictions, behavioral consequences, and protected communication rights per Fosterful's Electronics and Personal Communication Devices policy.

• Monitor each child's Child-Specific Plan and safety assessment, and support staff in delivering care responsive to each child's strengths, triggers, cultural background, and stage of healing.

• Maintain a general activity guide and ensure age-appropriate materials, toys, and supplies are stocked and accessible at all times, in support of each child's individualized Activity Plan.

• Oversee monthly inventory checks of Essentials for Life supplies (clothing, bedding, hygiene items, and backpacks/luggage), collaborating with Fosterful's Development Team for donations and grants to ensure stock is available across ages and genders, and reviewing restocking flagged by Direct Care Staff.

4. Intake, Placement Coordination & Transition Support

• Serve as the primary operational point of contact for DCYF Gatekeepers and Social Service Specialists (social workers), managing intake for incoming referrals and coordinating sibling group placements with awareness of bed capacity and children's current needs.

• Ensure Child Health and Education Tracking (CHET) screenings are completed for each child upon entry and that Transition Summaries are prepared accurately and submitted to DCYF within 24 hours of discharge.

• Coordinate with DCYF case workers, Fosterful's Placement Support Manager (PSM), and community partners to support timely, thoughtful transitions to long-term placements, prioritizing sibling unity wherever possible.

• Collaborate with caregivers, DCYF, and identified supports to plan and coordinate visitation, communication, and relationship-building activities; maintain the approved list of individuals authorized for contact and unsupervised access. Handoff case to the Caregiver Support Project team following their GRC stay, facilitating transfer of contact information and communication history to the assigned PSM via a signed Release of Information.

• Work with DCYF and the school district to arrange an alternative school enrollment when a child cannot attend their school of origin, and utilize educational advocate resources (in the Care Coordinator capacity) to ensure the youth receives all appropriate services.

• Lead the facility's response when a youth is identified as missing from care: receive immediate notification from Direct Care Staff, compile incident details for external reporting (timeline, risk factors such as self-harm or trafficking concerns, physical description, and personal effects taken), and systematically contact external entities in sequence — local law enforcement (Run Report), the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (Runaway Report), and the DCYF EndHarm Line — documenting all case/reference numbers, followed by completion of Fosterful's internal Run Report and Missing From Care Timeline.

• Maintain open, proactive communication with DCYF regional staff regarding placement trends, child needs, and program capacity, including participation in weekly transition planning staffings organized by the DCYF regional Gatekeeper.

• Authorize and document any overnight or out-of-state travel involving a child in care, confirming advance written authorization has been obtained from the assigned DCYF Social Service Specialist.

5. Documentation, Reporting & Quality Improvement

• Maintain accurate, timely program records, including intake documentation, incident reports (GERs completed within 24 hours), Daily Census Reports (due close of business the following day), and Monthly Reports (due within 10 calendar days of month-end) submitted to the regional Gatekeeper and assigned DCYF Program Manager.

• Submit the Monthly Bed Retainer Billing Form and coordinate Extra 1:1 Supervision billing forms and requests as required by the contract. and Year-End Report annually as required by the assigned DCYF Program Manager.

• Implement and oversee the home's quality assurance process, conducting regular file audits, reviewing incident trends, and recommending improvements to the Director of Operations.

• Collect and analyze program data to identify patterns, inform practice improvements, and contribute to grant reporting and organizational learning.

• 6. Budget, Facility & Safety Management

• Manage the GRC Home operating budget in collaboration with senior leadership, ensuring responsible stewardship of program resources and identifying cost-effective solutions for program needs, including all medication-related purchasing via the agency expense card.

• Oversee the physical safety, cleanliness, and welcoming presentation of the home environment, coordinating maintenance and supplies purchasing within budget parameters.

• Oversee Direct Care Staff's execution of daily housekeeping, meal preparation, and laundry duties, ensuring the home remains safe, clean, and welcoming across all shifts, and that food handler's card requirements and menu standards are met.

• Ensure continuity of prescribed medications: coordinate with the DCYF Social Service Specialist when a child arrives without a needed medication or supply runs low (staff flag shortages at least 3 days in advance), arrange refills with the prescribing provider or pharmacy, and arrange emergency room evaluation if a gap poses an immediate health risk and a bridging option isn't available.

• Maintain the facility's on-site AED (stored in the Program Manager's office) and facility-level naloxone supply, ensuring all Direct Care Staff are trained in their use.

• Maintain the facility's written Emergency and Evacuation Plan; personally conduct monthly fire drills, and co-lead (with Fosterful's Training Specialist) quarterly hostile-individual and natural-disaster drills, ensuring all are documented and that staff are trained on emergency procedures at onboarding and annually.

• Serve as the designated point of notification during any emergency response (fire, hostile individual, natural disaster, or facility closure), coordinating with DCYF on alternative placement if the facility becomes uninhabitable.

• Ensure all mandated reporter obligations, safety plans, and behavior management protocols are current, practiced, and followed by all staff.

Contract-Required Qualifications

Applicants must meet one of the following education/experience combinations. Each pathway requires full-time paid or unpaid experience working with children age twelve and younger in one or a combination of: state-licensed in-home or facility-based daycare, or professional nanny work; school setting or early learning center; mental health hospital; a child-placing agency, residential care program, or licensed foster parenting; conducting supervised visits; or working directly with children/families in a community service organization.

• Master's degree in social work, early childhood education, child development, or a closely related field, plus one (1) year of qualifying experience; OR

• Bachelor's degree in a qualifying field plus two (2) years of qualifying experience; OR

• Associate's degree in a qualifying field plus three (3) years of qualifying experience; OR

• Four (4) years of qualifying experience with no degree required.

Alternative accepted combinations include a Bachelor's degree plus one year of full-time experience (up to six months of lived experience may count), an Associate's degree or 90 quarter/60 semester credits plus two years of experience, or three years of full-time experience without a degree. Exceptions to years-of-experience requirements may be granted in writing by the DCYF Program Manager. 

• Prior supervisory or program management experience, preferably in a 24-hour residential or crisis setting.

• Demonstrated understanding of DCYF systems, child welfare practice, and Washington State licensing requirements for residential programs

• Strong organizational and administrative skills, including budget management, data tracking, and documentation compliance.

• Commitment to culturally responsive, trauma-informed, LGBTQIA+-affirming, and equity-centered practice.

• Ability to respond to operational needs outside standard business hours, including occasional crisis support and shift-vacancy coverage.

• First Aid/CPR/Bloodborne Pathogens (BBP) certification required, or willingness to obtain within 30 days of hire.

• Valid Washington State driver's license, clean driving record, reliable personal vehicle, and current auto insurance meeting the contract's minimum liability coverage

• Must be at least 21 years of age.

• Must pass DCYF criminal history and child welfare background checks as a condition of employment and prior to unsupervised access to children.

• Current or willingness to obtain food handlers card, required immunizations (pertussis/Tdap and annual influenza) and TB screening, applicable to all staff due to the facility serving children ages 0–2.

Proficiency with Google Workspace; experience with an Electronic Health Record (EHR) or similar case management software preferred.

Physical Demands & Work Environment

The Green House is a multi-level home (basement plus three floors) with no elevator; stairs are the only way to move between levels. While the Program Manager's work is primarily administrative and supervisory, this is an on-site leadership role within a physically active environment. The Program Manager must be able to:

• Climb and descend stairs repeatedly throughout the day to supervise all floors of the home, check in with staff and children, and respond promptly to any need.

• Personally lead monthly fire drills and co-lead quarterly hostile-individual and natural-disaster drills, including physically walking evacuation routes and the 3rd-floor fire-ladder procedure with staff and children.

• Respond in person, without delay, to a safety incident or emergency anywhere in the building, including moving quickly between floors.

• Lift and carry supplies, files, or equipment as needed — for example, when restocking or auditing Essentials for Life inventory.

• Step in to support Direct Care Staff with hands-on child supervision or physical care tasks when needed to maintain required staffing ratios or respond to a shift-coverage gap.

Fosterful is committed to reasonable accommodation under the ADA. However, given the facility's physical layout and the safety-critical nature of the work, the ability to move throughout the building and respond physically to staff, child, and emergency needs is an essential function of this role.

Benefits

• Health reimbursement

• 10 hours of PTO earned per month

• Holiday pay

• Sick leave accrued per Washington State law (1 hour per 40 hours worked)

• Company iPhone and iPad provided

• Parking and mileage reimbursment

Fosterful is a dedicated nonprofit organization committed to supporting children and families in the foster care system. Our mission is to provide essential resources, advocacy, and community support to improve the lives of those we serve.

Fosterful is a nonprofit organization that provides trauma-informed support for children and caregivers experiencing foster care through holistic and customized care plans. Whether assisting during everyday moments or on-call at child welfare offices, we maintain a consistent and caring presence in the lives of foster families through vital resources, enrichment opportunities, on-the-ground support, and personalized case management.

Fosterful's Group Recieving Care Home program is an exciting next step in providing crucial, trauma-infomred care for young people during their transition into foster care, with a priority on keeping sibling groups together during the days immediately following removal by Child Protective Services. The GRC Home is a 6 bed facility that operates in partnership with the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF).

Fosterful is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.

Candidates with lived and learned expereince with the Foster Care system are encouraged to apply.