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How to hire a family service worker

Family service worker hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring family service workers in the United States:

  • In the United States, the median cost per hire a family service worker is $1,633.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • Human Resources use 15% of their expenses on recruitment on average.
  • On average, it takes around 12 weeks for a new family service worker to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.

How to hire a family service worker, step by step

To hire a family service worker, consider the skills and experience you are looking for in a candidate, allocate a budget for the position, and post and promote the job opening to reach potential candidates. Follow these steps to hire a family service worker:

Here's a step-by-step family service worker hiring guide:

  • Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
  • Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
  • Step 3: Make a budget
  • Step 4: Write a family service worker job description
  • Step 5: Post your job
  • Step 6: Interview candidates
  • Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new family service worker
  • Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a family service worker do?

A family service worker is in charge of providing support services to families in a community, referring them to other agencies or programs as needed. They serve as the primary point of contact of family members, ensuring they maintain an active line of communication. Their responsibilities typically revolve around enrolling family members into social services programs, gathering and verifying information, maintaining databases, and assisting in all procedures, all while updating families for any progress. Furthermore, a family service worker needs to coordinate with other social workers to provide the most effective service.

Learn more about the specifics of what a family service worker does
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  1. Identify your hiring needs

    Before you post your family service worker job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a family service worker for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

    Determine employee vs contractor status
    Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

    A family service worker's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, family service workers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

    The following list breaks down different types of family service workers and their corresponding salaries.

    Type of Family Service WorkerDescriptionHourly rate
    Family Service WorkerSocial workers help people solve and cope with problems in their everyday lives. One group of social workers—clinical social workers—also diagnose and treat mental, behavioral, and emotional issues.$13-23
    AdvocateAn advocate is a voice for the voiceless. It is their responsibility to speak on behalf of an individual or a particular cause... Show more$12-27
    Therapeutic Support StaffA therapeutic support staff member specializes in providing guidance and counseling to individuals with emotional support needs, mainly children. They are primarily responsible for building rapport with clients while assessing their different conditions and needs... Show more$12-20
    Show more

  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Social Work
    • Foster Care
    • Child Abuse
    • Protective Services
    • Mental Health
    • Court Reports
    • Family Services
    • Crisis Intervention
    • Child Development
    • Rehabilitation
    • Criminal Justice
    • Substance Abuse
    • Money Management
    • Group Homes
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Help children/youth in state custody achieve permanency whether through reintegration, adoption or custodianship.
    • Practice motivational interviewing techniques to assist individuals in identifying personal hurdles in order to set goals and work towards rehabilitation.
    • Establish and maintain relationships with stakeholder (DSS staff, schools and community partners).
    • Integrate the individual support plan (ISP) objective into the individuals' daily schedule.
    • Provide courtesy interviews or conflict investigations for other county DSS.
    • Determine participants' eligibility for program by gathering data and maintaining information to ensure clients are compliant for TANF program regulations.
    More family service worker duties

  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your family service worker job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A family service worker salary can vary based on several factors:
    • Location. For example, family service workers' average salary in mississippi is 57% less than in new jersey.
    • Seniority. Entry-level family service workers earn 43% less than senior-level family service workers.
    • Certifications. A family service worker with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
    • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a family service worker's salary.

    Average family service worker salary

    $37,674yearly

    $18.11 hourly rate
    Entry-level family service worker salary
    $28,000 yearly salary
    Updated December 5, 2025

    Average family service worker salary by state

    RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
    1Illinois$49,892$24
    2Texas$45,152$22
    3California$42,005$20
    4Virginia$41,638$20
    5New York$40,544$19
    6Ohio$37,240$18
    7Arkansas$33,151$16
    8Missouri$26,872$13

    Average family service worker salary by company

  4. Writing a family service worker job description

    A family service worker job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a family service worker job description:

    Family service worker job description example

    At Arkansas Early Learning (AEL), we believe every child deserves an opportunity to succeed, no matter their circumstances. We provide transformational learning programs to vulnerable children within a childcare setting. We offer free Infant, Toddler, and Pre-K childcare programs serving 11 counties with numerous centers across the state of Arkansas. AEL is more than just daycare! We offer a variety of child and family support services in a loving, caring, and safe environment.

    Being on our team at Arkansas Early Learning means you are passionate about your career and helping your community. You can make a difference every day in a child's life here. To meet the objectives of our mission, we are looking for people who share our purpose and mission to help children and families who are at a disadvantage. Do you have the right purpose to help them unleash their full potential while unleashing your own?


    NOW HIRING A FAMILY SERVICE WORKER:

    The Family Service Worker supports parents as they identify and meet their own goals, nurtures the development of their children in the context of their family and culture, and advocates for communities that are supportive of children and families of all cultures.


    WHY JOIN OUR TEAM?

    AEL is redefining the next generation of leaders through the delivery of research-based and innovative services. To meet the objective of our mission, we are looking for what matters most-people-who share our purpose and mission to help children and families who are at a disadvantage. Do you have what it takes to help them unleash their full potential while unleashing your own?


    Sound like the right place for you? Apply now to join our growing team!

    ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION: Arkansas Early Learning, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established to serve the needs of children and families throughout the State of Arkansas.

    EOE STATEMENT: Arkansas Early Learning is an equal employment opportunity employer and selects the best-matched individual for the job, based upon job-related qualifications, regardless of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected under state, federal or local law.

  5. Post your job

    There are various strategies that you can use to find the right family service worker for your business:

    • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
    • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
    • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
    • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.
    Post your job online:
    • Post your family service worker job on Zippia to find and recruit family service worker candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites.
    • Post a job on free websites.

  6. Interview candidates

    Recruiting family service workers requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

    It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

    The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

  7. Send a job offer and onboard your new family service worker

    Once you've decided on a perfect family service worker candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

    It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

    To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

  8. Go through the hiring process checklist

    • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
    • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
    • Define job responsibilities and requirements
    • Establish budget and timeline
    • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
    • Write job description
    • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
    • Promote the job internally
    • Process applications through applicant tracking system
    • Review resumes and cover letters
    • Shortlist candidates for screening
    • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
    • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
    • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
    • Conduct background checks on top candidates
    • Check references of top candidates
    • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
    • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
    • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
    • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
    • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
    • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)
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How much does it cost to hire a family service worker?

There are different types of costs for hiring family service workers. One-time cost per hire for the recruitment process. Ongoing costs include employee salary, training, onboarding, benefits, insurance, and equipment. It is essential to consider all of these costs when evaluating hiring a new family service worker employee.

Family service workers earn a median yearly salary is $37,674 a year in the US. However, if you're looking to find family service workers for hire on a contract or per-project basis, hourly rates typically range between $13 and $23.

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Updated December 5, 2025

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