Kinship Licensing Supervisor | Social Service Specialist ; SSSEverett

Overview

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.

Job Title: Kinship Care Supervisor | Social Service Specialist 5 (SSS5)
Location: Everett, WA | This position is full-time/flexible/hybrid. Office location is currently Everett Regional; it can be negotiated within lower Region 3 pending business needs and space availability.

Closes: February 9, 2026
Salary: $6,576 - $8,842 Monthly

We are currently looking for a Kinship Licensing Supervisor (SSS5) to join our team and work toward the common goal of eliminating child and youth outcome disparities based on race and ethnicity. The Kinship Licensing Supervisor supervises a unit of Social Service Specialists 3s and one Social Service Specialist 4 who serve as licensors to kinship caregivers, providing professional-level home study assessments and licensing services.

If you are ready for a growth opportunity in the social services field and have a passion for protecting children, we encourage you to apply today and see all that DCYF has to offer.

• Prioritize and assign work to a unit of home study and licensing staff.
• Hire and train, coach, and mentor new and existing professional staff in the law, policies, and procedures governing their job assignments.
• Participate in monthly leadership meetings that provide the foundation of growth and knowledge to coach and mentor junior Social Service Specialists.
• Provide informal training regarding licensing functions and home study assessment requirements and arrange for formal agency training for staff.
• Provide case consultation and review of home study assessments and licensing maintenance work.
• Maintain respectful working relationships with community providers and partners.
• Assist staff to make field visits in order to facilitate licensing and home study functions.
• Conduct case staffing, unit meetings, and other meetings as needed.
• Participate effectively in work groups designed to shape agency policy and practice including regional or office supervisor meetings.
• Perform supervisory personnel functions, including setting performance goals and performance evaluation.
• Perform quality assurance on staff documentation of the home study and initial licensing process, as well as ongoing maintenance licensing processes.
• Prepare to give court testimony or mentorship to staff in preparation for court testimony if necessary.
• Consult with the Area Administrator on issues of imminent risk to children, chronic violations, complex cases, LD/CPS, media matters, and other cases as directed by the Area Administrator.
• Arrange formal agency training related to specific job assignments and career development.
• Review the level of risk in cases alleging abuse and/or neglect of children and ensure appropriate reporting has taken place.
• Review violations of licensing requirements to assure the health and safety of children and appropriate corrective action has been taken.

• Eight (8) years of paid social service experience AND 30 semester OR 45 quarter credits in a Social Services discipline.

• One (1) year of experience as a Social Service Specialist 4.

• Two (2) years of experience as a Social Service Specialist 3.

• Bachelor’s degree in social services, human services, behavioral sciences, or any Bachelor’s degree which includes 30 semester or 45 quarter credits in a Social Services discipline AND four (4) years of paid social service experience.

• Master's degree in Social Services, human services, behavioral sciences, or any Master’s degree which includes 30 semester or 45 quarter credits in a Social Services discipline AND three (3) years of paid Social Service experience.

• The ability to take action to learn and grow.
• The ability to take action to meet the needs of others.

* A two-year Master’s degree in one of the above fields that included a practicum may be substituted for one (1) year of paid social service experience.

* Paid Social Service experience must include at least one (1) year assessing risk and safety to children and providing direct…