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Adoption social worker vs family support specialist

The differences between adoption social workers and family support specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both an adoption social worker and a family support specialist. Additionally, an adoption social worker has an average salary of $53,309, which is higher than the $37,343 average annual salary of a family support specialist.

The top three skills for an adoption social worker include social work, foster care and child abuse. The most important skills for a family support specialist are social work, child abuse, and patients.

Adoption social worker vs family support specialist overview

Adoption Social WorkerFamily Support Specialist
Yearly salary$53,309$37,343
Hourly rate$25.63$17.95
Growth rate9%9%
Number of jobs103,335143,739
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 55%Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Average age4242
Years of experience44

Adoption social worker vs family support specialist salary

Adoption social workers and family support specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

Adoption Social WorkerFamily Support Specialist
Average salary$53,309$37,343
Salary rangeBetween $43,000 And $65,000Between $24,000 And $55,000
Highest paying City-Trenton, NJ
Highest paying state-New Jersey
Best paying company-Catholic Health East
Best paying industry-Professional

Differences between adoption social worker and family support specialist education

There are a few differences between an adoption social worker and a family support specialist in terms of educational background:

Adoption Social WorkerFamily Support Specialist
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 55%Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Most common majorSocial WorkPsychology
Most common collegeBoston CollegeHunter College of the City University of New York

Adoption social worker vs family support specialist demographics

Here are the differences between adoption social workers' and family support specialists' demographics:

Adoption Social WorkerFamily Support Specialist
Average age4242
Gender ratioMale, 12.5% Female, 87.5%Male, 14.0% Female, 86.0%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 13.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 2.7% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%Black or African American, 13.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 2.7% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%
LGBT Percentage10%10%

Differences between adoption social worker and family support specialist duties and responsibilities

Adoption social worker example responsibilities.

  • Case manage in-district and out-of-district students with emotional disabilities, autism, other health impair and physical disabilities.
  • Train foster parents on DHS requirements for caregiver roles.
  • Conduct interviews with agency and DHS staff relate to children free for adoption.
  • Work with a complex interdisciplinary team facilitating treatment for patients on medical floors including oncology, dialysis, cardiac and maternity.
  • Lead presentation and training sessions to community and inter-agency groups.

Family support specialist example responsibilities.

  • Manage RSP curriculum for wide spectrum of needs including LD and autism.
  • Help children/youth in state custody achieve permanency whether through reintegration, adoption or custodianship.
  • Provide first aid or CPR.
  • Provide intensive services to families that are DHS who are determine to be reunify with their families.
  • Attend and participate in weekly staff meetings, individual supervision, and other meetings require by DCF.
  • Provide activities supervision and individual counseling to DCFS wards of the state within a therapeutic milieu setting.
  • Show more

Adoption social worker vs family support specialist skills

Common adoption social worker skills
  • Social Work, 13%
  • Foster Care, 11%
  • Child Abuse, 10%
  • Mental Health, 7%
  • Birth Parents, 5%
  • Resource Families, 4%
Common family support specialist skills
  • Social Work, 23%
  • Child Abuse, 9%
  • Patients, 7%
  • Child Development, 4%
  • Crisis Intervention, 4%
  • Foster Care, 4%

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