How to hire a foster care worker

How to hire a foster care worker, step by step

Here's a step-by-step foster care 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 foster care worker job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new foster care worker
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a foster care worker do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The foster care worker hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a foster care worker to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a foster care worker that fits the bill.

   The following list breaks down different types of foster care workers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Foster Care Worker	Description	Hourly rate
   Foster Care Worker	Social 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.	$15-31
   Case Planner	Case planners are social workers who provide assistance to children and their families to improve their social and psychological functioning as well as maximize the well-being of families. These planners are required to design service plans that address the safety, behavioral, education, and permanency needs of families and adolescents... Show more	$15-27
   Rehabilitation Counselor	Rehabilitation counselors are professional counselors who are responsible for helping individuals cope with their disabilities to live independently. These counselors are required to consult other professionals, family members, and individuals when developing a treatment plan based on the goals, strengths, limitations, and personal values of their clients... Show more	$14-27

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Foster Care
   • Social Work
   • Child Abuse
   • Social Services
   • Foster Children
   • Community Resources
   • Compassion
   • Court Reports
   • Mental Health
   • State Regulations
   • DCFS
   • CPR
   • Casework Services
   • Substance Abuse

   Check all skills

   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.

   More foster care worker duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your foster care worker job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A foster care worker can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, foster care workers' average salary in missouri is 61% less than in new jersey.
   • Seniority. Entry-level foster care workers 51% less than senior-level foster care workers.
   • Certifications. A foster care worker with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a foster care worker's salary.

   Average foster care worker salary

   $46,037yearly

   $22.13 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level foster care worker salary

   $32,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 22, 2026

   Average foster care worker salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Maryland	$66,711	$32
   2	New York	$64,114	$31
   3	Washington	$61,466	$30
   4	Minnesota	$60,537	$29
   5	California	$59,668	$29
   6	Virginia	$56,610	$27
   7	North Dakota	$56,153	$27
   8	Texas	$54,666	$26
   9	North Carolina	$54,399	$26
   10	Oregon	$54,208	$26
   11	Illinois	$52,690	$25
   12	Ohio	$49,912	$24
   13	Pennsylvania	$47,001	$23
   14	Michigan	$45,749	$22
   15	Wisconsin	$44,535	$21
   16	Arizona	$43,784	$21
   17	Tennessee	$42,594	$20
   18	Georgia	$40,915	$20
   19	Indiana	$39,565	$19
   20	Nebraska	$38,740	$19

   Average foster care worker salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Riverview Health	$63,072	$30.32	9
   2	The New York Foundling	$54,400	$26.15	18
   3	Centene	$54,028	$25.98	44
   4	Washington State University	$51,921	$24.96
   5	Spectrum	$50,959	$24.50
   6	Health Connect America	$47,689	$22.93	13
   7	State of North Dakota	$46,962	$22.58	24
   8	Seneca Companies	$46,910	$22.55	18
   9	Camelot Center	$46,787	$22.49
   10	LSS INC	$46,359	$22.29	20
   11	The Arc Baltimore	$46,303	$22.26
   12	Wake County	$46,265	$22.24	5
   13	FamilyCore	$46,078	$22.15
   14	Camelot Foster Care	$45,980	$22.11
   15	UnitedHealth Group	$45,603	$21.92	555
   16	HireLevel	$45,058	$21.66
   17	The Children's Village	$43,689	$21.00	51
   18	The National Center For Children And Families	$43,659	$20.99
   19	Marygrove	$43,642	$20.98
   20	The State of Oregon	$43,531	$20.93	13

4. Writing a foster care worker job description

   A job description for a foster care worker role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a foster care worker job description:

   Foster care worker job description example

   Health Connect America is dedicated to providing quality and affordable mental health services to individuals and their family members. We believe in individuality, safety, community, inclusivity, innovation and progress for our families and staff. We believe in empowering our clients and utilizing current and appropriate clinical treatment. We have found that our staff succeed when they are passionate about social services, helping at-risk communities and value collaboration with a team.
   What will I be doing?
   As a Foster Care Parent Trainer/ Recruiter, you will be helping children and adolescents who are at risk of being removed from the home. Our goal is to preserve the family through intensive weekly in-home therapy sessions. You will be:
   A part of the recruitment of Foster Parents
   Training of Foster Parents
   Matching Foster Parents and Children
   Engaging and Retaining Foster Parents
   Case management activities Am I a good fit?
   In this position you will be traveling in the community to meet families where they are. A flexible schedule is important for this role and allows you to have control over your session planning. You will have significant documentation and travel, so good time management is a must! Qualifications-
   Bachelor’s degree in a Social Service or Human Service field is required. 2 years experience with youth or families or clinical work is preferred. Must undergo comprehensive background check and have Driver’s License with safe driving record. Full and Part Time Positions Available.
   
   We offer competitive compensation and benefits to our team members including medical/dental, 401K, HSA with company contribution, Paid Time Off for full time staff. Health connect is an Equal Opportunity Employer Health Connect America is a multi-state, community mental and behavioral health services provider. It is the mission of Health Connect America to create quality, affordable opportunities for individuals and families to achieve their greatest potential in a safe, positive living environment. We offer competitive compensation and benefits to our team members including medical/dental, 401K, HSA with company contribution, and paid time off for full time employees. Health Connect America is an Equal Opportunity Employer and considers applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, orientation, national origin, age, disability, genetics or any other basis forbidden under federal, state, or local law. Powered by JazzHR 2RCicB9RnI

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find foster care workers for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your foster care worker job on Zippia to find and recruit foster care worker candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit foster care workers, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   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 foster care worker

   Once you've decided on a perfect foster care 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 also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new foster care worker. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are 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 foster care worker?