About the Role
The Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) protects and promotes the safety and well-being of children and families through child welfare and juvenile justice services and community supports. ACS manages community-based supports and foster care services and provides subsidized childcare vouchers. ACS child protection staff respond to allegations of child maltreatment. In juvenile justice, ACS oversees detention, placement, and programs for youth in the community.
ACS' Nicholas Scoppetta Children’s Center (NSCC) is a 24-hour shift-based operation providing services for New York City’s highly vulnerable population of abused and/or neglected children who have been removed from their parents/caregivers. On average, the Children’s Center serves approximately 2,500 unique children entering or re-entering the foster care system as they await transition to return home, stay with kin, or placement in longer-term foster care settings.
The Intake Unit is responsible for ensuring that children arriving at the Children’s Center are received and oriented in a welcoming and warm manner. The role of Greeters/Engagement Specialist are critical to providing a welcoming environment to the children. Engagement Specialist-Greeters are expected to follow the trauma informed model of care as they are engaging children arriving at the Children’s Center. In addition to orienting and engaging children as they arrive at the Children’s Center, greeters are also receiving and inventorying youth items that will need to be vouchered and stored for safety purposes. Engagement Specialists then ensures that children are transitioned to the assigned living/program spaces. Further helping to engage youth as they transition from the Children’s Center to foster care facilities.
The duties and responsibilities of the Engagement Specialists will include but will not be limited to:
- Oversee the care, development and guidance of dependent, neglected, traumatized, and emotionally disturbed children at the Children’s Center.
- Create a welcoming, trauma-informed environment for all children entering and exiting the Children’s Center.
- Conduct individual and group orientation sessions to youth to support NSCC program expectations, and transition to placement.
- Chaperone and/or transport youths to and from appointments, schools, activities, court appearances, and other community-based activities as required.
- Monitor and supervise children in assigned areas, including observing changes in behavior and reporting aberrations and assisting children with personal hygiene, when necessary.
- Conduct inspections and inventory of children’s property upon entering and departing from the Children’s Center, and upon administrative request.