Jobs and Internships

Jobs

Are you looking for an opportunity to use your experience in education and advocacy, passion for child welfare, foster care, and adoption, and desire to impact domestic and international policy? The Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute’s (CCAI) unique reach to Members of Congress and role as a liaison for national and global child welfare and adoption communities makes it a hub for information and policy change. Individuals with strengths in communicating to Congress and key stakeholders, coordinating with outside organizations, and developing relationships across a wide range of stakeholder groups will thrive in this position. If you consider yourself a team player who is motivated by personal and professional growth, excellence, and integrity, CCAI may be the next step in your career.

CCAI is currently hiring for two full-time staff positions - (1) Policy Director and (2) Associate:

Policy Director: The Policy Director’s primary role is implementing CCAI’s government relations and congressional education strategy to facilitate and expand CCAI’s impact among federal policymakers and the child welfare communities. Working closely with the Executive Director, colleagues, and CCAI’s Advisory Council, the Policy Director is responsible for the development and implementation of CCAI's short- and long-term government relations, education, and advocacy strategies in adoption and child welfare policy. This includes, but is not limited to responsibility for researching, designing, coordinating, and executing pieces of the Congressional Resource Program and 20/20 Vision Program delegation activities, reports, communications, working groups, and special events. The Policy Director also supports and/or engages in congressional outreach for each of CCAI’s core programs. While the Policy Director is not the primary contact for Members of Congress, celebrity advocates and donors, they are responsible for supporting the Executive Director and Board of Directors in developing these relationships and supporting growth and activity among these stakeholder groups as well as congressional staff and advocacy organizations. A bachelor's degree is required in addition at least three years of experience in policy and documented experience in a position of leadership and managing staff. A graduate degree in policy, law, or related field is a plus. Please see the job posting for more information including qualifications, responsibilities, salary, and benefits. To apply*, please complete an online application, also available at https://bit.ly/ccai_policydirector2023. 

Associate: The CCAI Associate position works closely in collaboration with the Executive Director, Policy Director, and Programs Coordinator in implementing the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute’s (CCAI) outreach and educational programming and policy efforts. The Associate works closely with all core programs - Congressional Resource Program, Foster Youth Internship Program®, Angels in Adoption®, and 20/20 Vision - in addition to various initiatives. This position is best suited for a candidate with strong educational, advocacy, and relationship‐building skills. A bachelor's degree is required. Please see the job posting for more information including qualifications, responsibilities, salary, and benefits. To apply*, please complete an online application, also available at https://bit.ly/ccai_associate2023.

*We encourage you to apply even if your experience is not a 100% match with the position. We are looking for someone with relevant skills and experience, not a checklist that exactly matches the job description. We want to help you grow and in return, you help us grow into a stronger, more impactful organization.

Workplace & Culture 

CCAI operates in a hybrid schedule: part-time at the office, part-time work-from-home. The CCAI office is in a downtown Washington, D.C. collaborative workspace building. The office can be described as a friendly, team atmosphere where staff members assist each other when needed. Our mission and core values of integrity, community, ambition, collaboration, compassion, and innovation guide us in everything we do. 

Benefits for all full-time staff include:

●    Fully paid by company health, dental, and vision insurance
●    Monthly stipend for commute and communication expenses
●    Paid vacation and holiday time
●    Access to a fitness gym
●    3% employer retirement match after one year of employment
●    Professional development opportunities

Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute is a 501 (c)(3) charitable nonprofit organization. CCAI actively supports and encourages non-discriminatory employment policies and practices and is committed to fostering the growth and development of its employees. CCAI therefore offers equal opportunity and equal consideration to all persons who seek employment with CCAI and to those who are already employed by CCAI. No employee or applicant will be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, ancestry, religion, national origin, gender, age, veteran status, disability, and/or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

Internships

Thank you for your interest in volunteering as an intern on the CCAI team!

CCAI is a leading non-profit organization that makes a national impact on adoption, foster care, and child welfare policy and advocacy on Capitol Hill and across the country. CCAI interns have the opportunity to work on projects that positively affect children and families. Whether through researching legislation and policy, engaging Members of Congress and their staff, organizing fundraising efforts, planning advocacy events, or leading social media campaigns, our interns leave CCAI knowing they were able to make a difference in furthering CCAI’s mission of children belonging in safe and nurturing families.

Applications for all semesters are accepted on a rolling basis, until the positions are filled.

To apply, submit the CCAI Internship Application Form and upload a (1) résumé, (2) cover letter, and (3) academic writing sample of two-to-three pages. The application can also be accessed at https://bit.ly/ccai_internships. Please direct any questions to Sara Schleicher at sara@ccainstitute.org.

We currently offer internships during the following three semesters:

• Spring: January – April
• Summer: May – August  
• Fall: September – December                 

CCAI can assist in arranging academic credit for your internship. CCAI also hosts fellows and graduate students and coordinates with schools for externship credits. For all spring and fall internships, a minimum 15-hour commitment per week is required. For summer internships, a minimum 32-hour commitment per week is required. Please note this internship is a volunteer position. 

Internship Positions Available

Internship Department Positions: Please note that while the organization has three departments, CCAI is highly collaborative and team-oriented; therefore, interns will have frequent opportunities to work with all departments throughout the internship.  

Policy: Policy interns research and stay informed of the current adoption and foster care legislation, reports and studies; correspond with and support congressional staff; and assist CCAI’s Policy Director in planning, outreach and logistics for policy events and legislative briefings on Capitol Hill. Policy interns will have the opportunity to help the CCAI policy team engage with the 118th Congress and advocate for CCAI’s mission of children in families on Capitol Hill. NOTE: This position may work remotely and does not need to be based in D.C.

Programs: Programs interns help CCAI's Programs Coordinator facilitate the advocacy and programmatic details of our four core programs: Angels in Adoption® Leadership Program and Foster Youth Internship (FYI) Program® in addition to various other projects and initiatives including National Foster Care Month and National Adoption Day. Responsibilities include communicating with congressional offices, assisting with program design and preparation, research, event coordination, and social media. NOTE: This position may work remotely and does not need to be based in D.C.

Development & Communications: Development and Communications interns work alongside the Executive Director on donor development and outreach, grant writing, fundraising, social media, research, and supporting the staff with special campaigns and events. Development interns will help craft and facilitate fundraising strategies for the organization at-large with special emphasis on the Foster Youth Internship Program® and the Angels in Adoption® Leadership Program. Interns also help facilitate the communications details of our core programs, Angels in Adoption®, the Foster Youth Internship Program®, National Adoption Day, and other various projects. Responsibilities include assisting with graphic design and preparation, communicating with congressional offices, event coordination, live social media updates, crafting posts for all internet platforms, managing a social media calendar, and research. NOTE: This position may work remotely and does not need to be based in D.C.

Required Documents 

• Résumé
• Cover Letter
• Academic Writing Sample (two-to-three pages)