Director of Child Welfare

REPORTING TO: Executive Director

BACKGROUND: The Rift Valley Children’s Fund (RVCF) works to eliminate poverty and improve the lives of marginalized children and families in the Oldeani area of northern Tanzania. With an annual budget of approximately $2 million USD, our goal is to ensure that all children and families in this region have the opportunity to lead healthy, secure, and fulfilling lives. Through four programmatic areas - a children’s home (Rift Valley Children’s Village - RVCV), a health clinic, educational partnerships with local schools, and an economic opportunity program - we endeavor to provide a community of 10,000 with all the tools, systems and opportunities they need to find a path out of generational poverty.

RVCF is seeking a compassionate, organized, and adaptable problem-solver to join our team in Tanzania. This is a full-time contract position, responsible for both fostering a loving, safe, and supportive family environment for the children who live at RVCV as well as supporting and leading the adults overseeing their welfare. The Director of Child Welfare will be a member of the Leadership Team. Due to the spontaneous nature of child welfare, duties of this position may change from time to time during the period of employment.

POSITION SUMMARY: The Director of Child Welfare serves as the strategic lead and primary guardian for all child protection and development initiatives at the Rift Valley Children’s Village (RVCV). This role ensures that every child receives holistic, trauma-informed care that aligns with both the organization’s mission to break generational poverty and the legal frameworks of the United Republic of Tanzania.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Child Welfare Strategy & Policy Governance

• Research, develop, and execute child welfare services that specifically target the evolving social and unique psychological needs of children residing at RVCV.
• Establish metrics to monitor and evaluate the success of welfare initiatives, proactively adjusting programs to improve outcomes.
• Work with Senior Leadership to conduct rigorous evaluations of intake capacity, ensuring new children are brought into the community only when optimal support is available.
• Serve as the primary guardian of Tanzanian legislative compliance, ensuring all protection and welfare standards meet or exceed national laws.
• Maintain and continuously improve RVCV safeguarding and child protection policies
• Provide calm, decisive leadership during spontaneous child welfare emergencies, adjusting organizational priorities as required.
• Ensure every child has an updated case file, care plan and documented developmental goals
• Align all welfare programming with RVCF’s long term mission of breaking generational poverty.

Operational Leadership & Staff Management

• Will be responsible for the professional growth and daily performance of the adults who provide direct care to the children.
• Lead the Children Welfare Team through daily check-ins, providing the guidance necessary to handle complex family and individual cases and in accordance to best practices.
• Manage the House Mamas, Matron and Patron to ensure the Children's Houses remain nurturing, safe, stable, loving, supportive and structured environments.
• Identify training needs for the childcare staff to enhance their ability to handle behavioral challenges and emotional support.
• Identify and mentor subordinates for capacity building and ensure plans are in place for succession planning.
• Maintain a high level of flexibility to address the spontaneous nature of child welfare issues as they arise.
• Oversee the logistics of mandatory family member visits, ensuring the Social Work team completes and documents these in a timely manner.
• Establish and uphold clear standards for child safety and security by actively discouraging and addressing inappropriate behaviors.
• Work with senior leadership in annual planning and budgets and ensure alignment to the Strategic Plan.

External Relations & Government Liaison

• Ensure every aspect of RVCV operations remains in full alignment with evolving Tanzanian child protection and welfare legislation.
• Serve as the professional face of RVCV’s welfare department to the broader Tanzanian community and government.
• Cultivate and maintain a productive working relationship with the Social Welfare Office in Karatu.
• Act as the official RVCV representative and primary point of contact for the District and Regional Social Welfare Offices.
• Guarantee that all required reporting is accurate and submitted to the appropriate Social Welfare Officers on schedule.
• Collaborate with Senior Leadership to maintain a transparent, productive, and respectful partnership with local government stakeholders.

Long-Term Child Development & Alumni Success

• Direct the scheduling and utilization of mental health resources to ensure children receive consistent psychological support as needed.
• In coordination with the Social Work team, identify mental health issues early, referring significant cases to the RVCV clinical psychologist.
• In coordination with the Social Work team, lead efforts to identify and support children’s mental health needs.
• Work closely with the RVCV Clinical Psychologist to provide guidance and interventions, ensuring every child receives comprehensive support.
• Oversee the transition from secondary school to adulthood by managing career counseling and post-secondary selection processes.
• Design and implement diverse extracurricular activities that promote physical, creative, and social development.
• Lead the "launching" phase for young adults, maintaining a supportive relationship to ensure they feel welcomed back into the RVCV community.
• Coordinate living accommodations and policy compliance for older children returning to RVCV during school breaks or professional transitions.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for this Role:

1. Compliance: 100% adherence to Tanzanian child protection laws and reporting deadlines.
2. Staff Retention: High morale and performance scores among the Social Work and House Mama teams.
3. Child Outcomes: Measurable improvement in social-emotional health of RVCV kids and successful "launching" of young adults into careers or higher education.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in Social Work.
• Master’s degree will be an added advantage
• Must be a Registered Social Worker form Tanzania Association of Social Workers (TASWO).
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in a similar role.
• Minimum commitment of 2 years required.
• Fluent in Swahili, strong in conversational and written English.
• Candidate must be outgoing, friendly, easygoing, and open-minded.
• Team-oriented and collaborative.
• Ability to thrive living in a rural setting in Tanzania.
• Sense of humor and positive attitude.

PACKAGE

• Competitive salary.
• Relocation assistance.
• Accommodation assistance.
• Health care coverage for terms of service.
• One-month annual leave per year of commitment.