(..).then is not a function ,firebase cloud functions

I am trying to run a function in asynchronously.But it throws error. Below is my code:

exports.listenForNotificationRequests = functions.database.ref('/notificationRequests/{pushId}')
    .onWrite(event => {
       const requestId = event.data.val();
       var sentTo = requestId.sentTo;
       var senderIds =  sentTo.split(",");
     //  var senderTokens = "";

       var payload = {
                data: {
                  title: requestId.username,
                  message:  requestId.message,
                  sentFrom: requestId.sentFrom
                }
        };

       return getSenderIds(senderIds).then(function(senderTokens){
            console.log("SenderTokens", senderTokens);
            admin.messaging().sendToDevice(senderTokens.split(","), payload)
                    .then(function(response) {
                      console.log("Successfully sent message:", response);
                    })
                    .catch(function(error) {
                      console.log("Error sending message:", error);
            });

       });

});

function getSenderIds(senderIds){
    var senderTokens = "";
    senderIds.forEach(function (snapshot){
                var ref = admin.database().ref("users/"+snapshot+"/token");
                console.log("refernce", snapshot);
                ref.once("value", function(querySnapshot2) {
                         var snapVal = querySnapshot2.val();
                         console.log("Token", snapVal);
                         senderTokens = senderTokens+","+snapVal;
                });
    });
    return senderTokens;
}

While on execution it throws exceprtion:

TypeError: getSenderIds(...).then is not a function
    at exports.listenForNotificationRequests.functions.database.ref.onWrite.event (/user_code/index.js:20:39)
    at /user_code/node_modules/firebase-functions/lib/cloud-functions.js:35:20
    at process._tickDomainCallback (internal/process/next_tick.js:129:7)

I have tried multiple solutions but none of use. Can anybody here point out what mistake I am making? Or if there is any other solution to this?

via Saira Nawaz