Social Service Specialist In-Training; SSS- Region​/King

Our vision is to ensure that "Washington state’s children and youth grow up safe and healthy—thriving physically, emotionally, and academically, nurtured by family and community."

ATTENTION: This announcement will be used to generate a candidate pool for 2026 to fill vacancies within Region 4 as they occur. If you have already applied, no need to reapply; your application status remains unchanged.

Job Title: Social Service Specialist 1-3 (SSS1, SSS2, SSS3). Units: CPS, CPS/FAR, and CFWS.

Locations: Region 4 – King County. Offices are in Kent, Queen Anne (Seattle), Rainier Valley (Seattle), Bellevue, and West Seattle. Travel is a requirement of this position. This position will travel within its assigned areas of work, and the incumbent will be required to travel with clients as cases require, as well as travel to attend trainings and meetings in other locations.

Job Type: Full‑time, Permanent.

Salary: $4,771 – $7,622. King County Premium:
The salary listed does not include the additional 5% premium granted to all King County employees. Assignment Pay:
When the incumbent reaches the goal class of Social Service Specialist 3, they will receive 10% assignment pay. This assignment pay is in addition to the regular base salary as the required duties include performing visits in unregulated environments, such as private residences, to conduct investigations for allegations of abuse and/or neglect and assess the safety of vulnerable children.

Review Date: Applications are reviewed regularly.

DCYF is seeking Social Service Specialists at the SSS1, SSS2, or SSS3 level to join us at one of our office locations in Region 4, King County. This recruitment will create a candidate pool to fill vacancies as they occur within multiple offices, programs, and units for Child Protective Services (CPS), Family Assessment Response (FAR), and Child and Family Welfare Services (CFWS).

If you are passionate about working with parents to safely care for their children and secure a safe, nurturing, and permanent family for every young person, whether through reunification with their birth family, kinship care, or adoption, one of these positions may be perfect for you. We are seeking Social Service Specialist 3s or Social Service Specialist 1‑2 “in‑training” with the goal class being Social Service Specialist
3. Apply today and join our amazing and supportive team in Region 4!

to learn more about DCYF.

The Opportunity: In this role, you will assess complex family situations, interview children and parents, evaluate child safety, develop plans to protect children in their homes, and offer services to children and families.

CPS (Child Protective Services): CPS Specialists investigate allegations of child abuse or neglect and provide the appropriate recommendations and services for families. Under the CPS umbrella is FAR (Family Assessment Response). FAR is an alternative CPS pathway for families with low and moderate allegations of child abuse or neglect. Qualifying families may choose this pathway. Social Service Specialists work with families to keep children safe and build on their strengths to establish community support for long‑term success.

CFWS (Child and Family Welfare Services): CFWS Specialists provide a variety of strategies to achieve safe and timely permanency for children. Permanency planning involves active and reasonable efforts for timely reunification and identifying and monitoring placement that is in the child’s best interest, safe, stable, least restrictive, and near the parent and the child’s school when possible. This requires safety, permanency, and well‑being activities.

• Determine if children are safe with their families through respectful investigation and/or assessments.
• Intervene to protect unsafe children and develop a case plan with the family to remedy the situation so families can safely parent their children.
• Follow child welfare laws, policies, and procedures.
• Conduct ongoing comprehensive assessments of risk and safety, develop case plans, and authorize services for children, youth, birth parents, and caregivers.
• Implement culturally appropriate, ADA‑sensitive, and…