social worker

mental health therapist

group manager

direct support professional

clinician

Wayfinder Family Services

It might be good if you are a Social Worker. If you are Admin you fall in to 2 groups. The actual good workers who do 90% of the work and the bad admin workers who don't take initiative to do anything and get rewarded by having their duties reassigned because it is "too much for them".

We have lost amazing major players in the admin team the past few years and it's not getting any better. When your awesome staff leave, maybe you should look in the mirror and see why? 

I started out proud that I worked for Lilliput, then the more I saw the inner workings and competitiveness and greed, I was embarrassed.

We had an awesome admin in HR, she did everything. She put together a whole day at Six Flags for 300+ people, 100% just her and didn't get even a thank you during the CEO's speech, that was the turning point for me. I think she only stuck around another year or 2.

We had a small team of like 3 admin who would put together whole day meetings for the management team and the entire agency. With the management not doing anything until the morning of, in terms of turning in their presentations, if they even did that by themselves. Then management was reminded to thank them for their hard work or one of the other managers would do it as an afterthought.

They send out surveys and ask for authentic feedback anonymously but don't actually work to fix the problems.

Administrative staff planned their own Administrative Professionals Day, for training etc. and then would be talked to about their backlog when they returned to the office or made to feel guilty for attending their own celebration. But when it was SW Appreciation Month? The offices pretty much closed so they could go out and celebrate. Not that the SW didn't deserve it, they work hard, but that blatant inequality is sad. Just because someone didn't get their Master's degree doesn't make them worthless. And you all couldn't even manage a day without your admin staff?

The only benefit, and the only reason I stayed as long as I did was because I was able to have a very flexible schedule.

The work itself was incredibly rewarding. Building rapport with clients and collaborating with dedicated, compassionate coworkers made for a meaningful experience. The position also provided valuable insight into the foster care system and the opportunity to work alongside CPS and other community agencies.

Unfortunately, management often lacked the understanding and empathy needed for a field as emotionally demanding as this one. There was a strong emphasis on productivity and meeting numbers, often at the expense of employee well-being. Staff were frequently overbooked and overworked, making burnout a significant concern—especially when supporting foster youth and their biological families through challenging situations.

Taking time off was extremely difficult. Even when employees proactively scheduled make-up visits to accommodate planned leave, management often seemed frustrated or resentful. When supervisors were displeased, communication would become limited, and staff sometimes experienced what felt like retaliation through increased workloads, excessive micromanagement, or unnecessary criticism. This created a stressful and unprofessional work environment.

Overall, the experience was invaluable from a professional development standpoint, but the lack of supportive leadership made the role far more challenging than it needed to be.

The interview left a lot of promises in this position that were never followed through on. The first couple weeks in this position were wonderful and everyone was so supportive and kind. After about a month is when things started to change, and the true colors of the company came to light. Family Finding is considered one of their hybrid roles, and promises working from home a few days a week. I was asked to move to the office full time, so that I could receive more support in my role. I was promised that my boss would be in three days a week, and I was lucky to see her once a week for a couple hours. They promise flexibility in having a work/life balance, however, that's only true if you're a supervisor or one of the clinicians working there.
In this company, supervisors have no issue with throwing you under the bus to save face if something happens. I would be weary on pressing back on anything you are told, as you will be punished for it and you will be talked about amongst the very, very small office.
Trainings are lack luster at best and happen primarily over Microsoft teams meetings. Also, everyone is really good friends in this company, so going to upper management or HR with any concerns is essentially pointless.
The only saving grace in this job is the other family finder in the office, who is more than helpful in trying to help you be successful in this role.

Working with the population isn't the problem. It's the management and the overall structure of the departments. They only seem to care about the money that is being brought into the company, not the workers who are responsible for making sure that the organization is getting that funding. Management doesn't seem to care about morale, as they do not take steps to fix it. The HR department is a joke; the only people they protect are upper management. It is a popularity contest; only the people who are well-liked have an opportunity to advance in the company. There is also a major disconnect between senior management and the population that the company is serving. They don't understand the challenges that come with serving foster youth, and do not have the proper infrastructure to properly serve them. Again, the only thing they see are the dollar signs that come with providing beds for this population.  It is a disservice to the kids, and to the people who work 8-14 hours shifts to provide services to them. It is a top down problem, that is not getting fixed, despite numerous complaints to boards and oversight committees. Anyway, don't work here - you'll just end up disappointed and jaded.

Productive and busy agency with timelines to complete family psycho social assessments. very stressful.  Loved working with families to become foster parents and help with the adoption process.  Timeline was 50 days per assessment and hard to complete on time due to extensive mediation and nature of the reports as well as issues with making appointment with families, and sometimes long distances to travel.   Excellent benefits, and I often worked 10 hours a day.  Lots of flexibility in the job. Excellent  workplace culture with co-workers and we helped each other and discussed our work within the guidelines of confidentiality.  Enjoys the work, but missed working with families for a longer time period.  Supervisor was very fair and helpful.  Management very cooperative.  The hardest part of my job was getting all the information for assessments within the time frame given by the county contracts.   A typical day might included appointments in various bay area locations, visiting families in their homes, working on completing psycho social assessment, writing case notes, putting information in computer after receiving documents.  Lots of computer work, and able to work easily the computer program.  Work atmosphere very pleasant and relaxed.

In 2015-16 working at the shelter was great, the coworkers got along and everyone was on the same page for the most part. The residents were amazing, there were some difficult ones but with a great team it made things easier. We made children feel safe and able to trust staff.  The administration sucks! They don’t value any of their employees, there’s favoritism, inside hiring, staff not being acknowledge for their good work, or given deserved advancements. The pay is disrespectful to anyone with a degree and even more for those with masters. Some of the supervisors are amazing and help when needed. The upper management does not care about employees or the residents for that matter. There is a negative and hostile energy in the building due to new administration. The staff are talked down upon and made to feel inferior to the administration. Amazing experience with dealing with the population and many network opportunities with social workers and many other mental health staff. Otherwise the shelter needs new directors ASAP before they run that place in to the ground. They are causing good workers to leave a job they love. It’s Sad at times.

Pay was average in administration, but program staff are paid with the scraps from the exceptionally top heavy and overpaid management. You would think that with all the executive management, the place would run better and they wouldn't need to pay an obscene amount of money to have so many consultants do what management should be able to.

They're in the foster care and adoption business now and services for the blind seem to be falling by the wayside. If the public only knew how their tax dollars were being wasted as the bulk of their money comes from government agencies, DCFS being the largest reimbursement.  Homelessness is the new public funding gold mine, maybe they'll get into that next.  Management are clueless in what they're doing.  Foster kids constantly awol, do drugs, destroy property, Sheriff are always at the campus.  They're just housing these kids, there isn't any meaningful service being provided and the majority are returned to their families.  And If that's not enough, the most hostile working environment I've ever experienced.  But don't go to HR, they won't do anything, but luckily they have pro bono attorneys to handle the lawsuits.

A typical day at work was often unpredictable and stressful, with constant staffing issues and high demands. In my role as a Residential Supervisor, I learned how to manage crises, support youth with complex needs, and lead a team under pressure. However, management lacked consistency, communication, and accountability, which made it difficult to feel supported in the role. The workplace culture often felt disorganized and reactive instead of proactive, which impacted both staff morale and client care. The hardest part of the job was dealing with burnout due to long hours, limited support, and unclear expectations. The most enjoyable part was working directly with the youth and supporting their growth, as well as building connections with some team members who were committed to the work.

Lilliput used to be an amazing company to work for. That is no longer the case. Social workers are over worked, management claims they will make positive changes, but no changes occur, only yes-people are promoted and management is a huge mess. Information is not given to employees in a timely manner and there appears to be a lot of secrecy amungst the agency. Workers do not trust management, which is not good considering integrity is one of the main values in the agency. 
Lilliput used to feel like a family and a team effort. Now it feels like a heartless company who could care less about their employees. 
Pay is high for social work, but workers are still underpaid. 
The only thing that gets people through this job is amazing coworkers. 
The children do not appear to be a priority for management; making the county happy is all management seems to care about. The quality of homes we approve has gone down drastically, all in the name of keeping the county happy.

I have had the pleasure of seeing Wayfinder Family Services in action, and I am genuinely impressed by their commitment to fostering a positive atmosphere where individuals feel valued and treated with respect and dignity. The facilities are well-maintained, providing a comfortable and welcoming environment for the youth they serve.
What stands out the most is the structured nature of their program, which includes a wide range of services and support for the youth. It’s clear that the agency is well-organized, with each staff member having specific roles and responsibilities. This specialization is a huge benefit, as it allows for greater efficiency and effectiveness in service delivery, while also helping to prevent staff burnout. I really appreciate that the agency doesn't stretch their team too thin.
Overall, Wayfinder Family Services provides a high level of care, and I am confident that the youth who participate in their program are in good hands.


Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Social worker 1 salary reported	$64,480 per year
Mental health therapist 4 salaries reported	$67,240 per year
Group manager 1 salary reported	$22.00 per hour
Direct support professional 2 salaries reported	$17.25 per hour
Clinician 2 salaries reported	$62,500 per year

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