Family consultant vs foster care worker

The differences between family consultants and foster care workers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a family consultant and a foster care worker. Additionally, a foster care worker has an average salary of $46,037, which is higher than the $35,172 average annual salary of a family consultant.

The top three skills for a family consultant include social work, crisis intervention and social services. The most important skills for a foster care worker are foster care, social work, and child abuse.

Family consultant vs foster care worker overview

	Family Consultant	Foster Care Worker
Yearly salary	$35,172	$46,037
Hourly rate	$16.91	$22.13
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	75,651	151,625
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	4	4

Family consultant vs foster care worker salary

Family consultants and foster care workers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Family Consultant	Foster Care Worker
Average salary	$35,172	$46,037
Salary range	Between $16,000 And $74,000	Between $32,000 And $65,000
Highest paying City	Baltimore, MD	Baltimore, MD
Highest paying state	New Jersey	New Jersey
Best paying company	International Rescue Committee	Riverview Health
Best paying industry	Government	Construction

Differences between family consultant and foster care worker education

There are a few differences between a family consultant and a foster care worker in terms of educational background:

	Family Consultant	Foster Care Worker
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Most common major	Psychology	Social Work
Most common college	Boston University	Boston University

Family consultant vs foster care worker demographics

Here are the differences between family consultants' and foster care workers' demographics:

	Family Consultant	Foster Care Worker
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 24.4% Female, 75.6%	Male, 20.1% Female, 79.9%
Race ratio	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%	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 Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between family consultant and foster care worker duties and responsibilities

Family consultant example responsibilities.

Help children/youth in state custody achieve permanency whether through reintegration, adoption or custodianship.
Work closing with DCS, CASA members, and group home managers to provide appropriate services.
Interview recipients to determine AFDC (TANF), Foodstamps, and Medicaid eligibility on an ongoing basis.
Work directly with DCS, children & families to promote, strengthen and develop the potential for positive parenting.
Perform occasional psychosocial rehabilitation services.
Screen and assess homeless veterans during initial interview to determine program eligibility.

Foster care worker example responsibilities.

Conduct unscheduled regular school visits to attain records of attendance, suspensions, IEP, and treatment plans.
Manage to write progress note, complete FASP's and input information on PROMIS on a timely manner.
Manage caseload of 18 23 children and adolescents in DSS custody due to abuse, neglect and criminal activity.
Manage a caseload of families with children in DSS custody awaiting return home to family of origin base upon progress make.
Lead presentation and training sessions to community and inter-agency groups.
Help children/youth in state custody achieve permanency whether through reintegration, adoption or custodianship.

Family consultant vs foster care worker skills

Common family consultant skills

Social Work, 22%
Crisis Intervention, 9%
Social Services, 8%
Foster Care, 7%
Child Development, 5%
Kids, 5%

Common foster care worker skills

Foster Care, 26%
Social Work, 19%
Child Abuse, 7%
Social Services, 6%
Foster Children, 5%
Community Resources, 4%