Little Rock, Arkansas – Arkansas’ Division of Children and Family Services is beginning a statewide effort to recruit more employees as the agency works to fill vacancies and build a stronger workforce dedicated to protecting children and helping families.
The hiring campaign comes as DCFS looks to bring more people into positions across Arkansas. Agency leaders say having a stable and well-supported workforce is important to the division’s ability to serve children and families in communities throughout the state.
DCFS Director Tiffany Wright said the work can be demanding, but it also provides employees with an opportunity to have a meaningful effect on the lives of others. Wright has spent 17 years working with the agency and said each day brings something different.
“Every day I get to wake up, no day is the same, but every day to wake up and make a difference in the lives of children and families in our state,” Wright said.
As part of the new recruiting effort, DCFS is putting more attention on explaining not only which jobs are available, but also what employees do once they join the agency.
Wright said the campaign is designed to highlight the available positions and the work DCFS performs “in order to keep children and families safe in their communities all across our state.”
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The agency has several types of positions available. Wright said she hopes DCFS can eventually fill all of its vacancies, pointing to the importance of having enough employees to meet the needs of children and families.
A stronger workforce, she said, allows the division to have a greater impact on the people it serves.
The positions include social service assistants, who can have a variety of responsibilities when working with families. Their duties may include helping families deal with everyday needs, supervising family time for children in foster care and assisting foster parents with medical appointments.
DCFS is also seeking social service specialists. These employees serve as frontline workers and can be responsible for investigating reports of child maltreatment and handling foster care cases. Some specialists may also work on adoption cases and help children move toward permanency.
Supervisor positions are available as well, giving the agency openings at different levels and in communities across Arkansas.
Wright said DCFS is interested in people who want to work directly with children and families and who have a connection to the communities they serve. Applicants should also be interested in helping families become more stable.
She pointed to practical skills that can be useful in the work, including time management and writing.
At the same time, Wright acknowledged that working in child and family services is not an easy job. Employees can face difficult situations and demanding responsibilities, but she said the work can also provide personal and professional rewards.
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“Yeah, so it is hard, and it is demanding, but it is impactful,” she said.
Wright said employees can learn more about themselves through the work while also helping families and communities deal with difficult circumstances.
The hiring process will include several steps. People interested in applying should be prepared for an interview process that may involve written questions. Applicants should also expect pre-employment background checks and a drug screen.
Those interested in joining DCFS can apply online through the agency’s job application website.
For Wright, the recruitment campaign is ultimately about more than filling empty positions. She said the work gives employees a direct opportunity to help children and families throughout Arkansas.
“Kids in our state matter,” she said. “Kids in this state are priority to all of us, and this career allows you to make that impact every single day on a child and a family.”
