Child Welfare By: Annabel Linares. INFORMATION REGARDING CHILD WELFARE
CHILD WELFARE FACTS - Social Work...
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Background ■ Nearly one million children are victims of child abuse or neglect each year. ■ In one year alone, 513,000 children were placed in foster care. ■ Each year, an estimated 20,000 young people “age out” of the U.S. foster care system. ■ Currently, 90% of states report difficulty in hiring and retaining qualified staff to work in their child welfare agencies. ■ Child welfare agency staff turnover is associated with multiple foster care placements. ■ Staff vacancy rates in child welfare agencies are higher than other child-serving programs. ■ High caseloads and staff turnover hurt children and families. Social Workers Are Needed in Child Welfare Although evidence demonstrates that social workers improve outcomes for children, nationally, fewer than 40% of child welfare workers are professional social workers. Research shows that social workers in child welfare agencies were more likely to find permanent homes for children who were in foster care for two years or more, and were better prepared to help children and families achieve child welfare outcomes. Social workers cite increased administrative burdens and reduced supports within agencies that serve children and families as factors that hinder staff retention. Social workers in child welfare also report lower salaries and higher levels of unaddressed safety issues compared to social workers in other areas. Action Needed Support the introduction and passage of legislation in the Senate and House to establish loan forgiveness programs for social workers and to expand the Title IV-E Child Welfare Training Program. Child welfare agencies that hire social work staff have lower turnover than those that do not. National Resource Center for Management and Administration, 1987 CHILD WELFARE FACTS Loan Forgiveness for Students Making a Difference for Hurt, Abused and Neglected Children
Transcript of CHILD WELFARE FACTS - Social Work...
Background
� Nearly one million children are victims ofchild abuse or neglect each year.
� In one year alone, 513,000 children wereplaced in foster care.
� Each year, an estimated 20,000 young people“age out” of the U.S. foster care system.
� Currently, 90% of states report difficulty inhiring and retaining qualified staff to work intheir child welfare agencies.
� Child welfare agency staff turnover is associatedwith multiple foster care placements.
� Staff vacancy rates in child welfare agenciesare higher than other child-serving programs.
� High caseloads and staff turnover hurtchildren and families.
Social Workers Are Needed inChild Welfare
Although evidence demonstrates that social workersimprove outcomes for children, nationally, fewer than40% of child welfare workers are professional socialworkers.
Research shows that social workers in child welfareagencies were more likely to find permanent homes forchildren who were in foster care for two years or more,and were better prepared to help children and familiesachieve child welfare outcomes.
Social workers cite increased administrative burdens andreduced supports within agencies that serve children andfamilies as factors that hinder staff retention. Socialworkers in child welfare also report lower salaries andhigher levels of unaddressed safety issues compared tosocial workers in other areas.
Action Needed
Support the introduction and passage of legislation inthe Senate and House to establish loan forgivenessprograms for social workers and to expand the TitleIV-E Child Welfare Training Program.
Child welfare agencies that hiresocial work staff have lowerturnover than those that do not.
National Resource Center for Managementand Administration, 1987
CHILD WELFARE FACTS
Loan Forgiveness for StudentsMaking a Difference for Hurt, Abused and Neglected Children
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750 First Street, NE, Suite 700Washington, DC 20002www.socialworkers.org
Loan Forgiveness Will Improve Recruitment and Retention ofSocial Workers in Child Welfare
� Financing higher education is increasingly difficult, especially forgraduates who seek positions in child welfare where salaries can belower than in other settings.
� Developing state and federal loan forgiveness programs will provideincentives for social workers to work with children in public orprivate non-profit child welfare agencies.
� Expanding national loan forgiveness programs for professional socialworkers who stay employed in child welfare will help retain membersof this workforce.
Improve the Title IV-E Training Program for Social WorkersWorking with Abused and Neglected Children
The major federal child welfare training program, Title IV-E of theSocial Security Act, offers training for current staff and those preparingfor employment. The Title IV-E training provisions need to be maintainedand enhanced to include social work education and training through bothpublic and private universities.
CHILD WELFARE FACTS
For More Information on PromotingProfessional Social Work in ChildWelfare
Advocacy Toolkit for Loan Forgiveness:www.socialworkers.org/advocacy/issues/loanForgiveness.asp
Fact Sheet, Title IV-E Training:http://www.socialworkers.org/advocacy/updates/2003/081204a.asp
NASW Center for Workforce Studies:http://workforce.socialworkers.org/
Institute for the Advancement of SocialWork Research Child WelfareWorkforce Initiative:http://www.iaswresearch.org
Debt Burden of Social Workers:http://www.socialworkers.org/advocacy/resources/CSWE%20Loan%20Debt%20Data-States-FINAL0505.pdf
For more information, contact NASW GovernmentRelations at [email protected] or202-408-8600.Social workers who participated in a
IV-E educational partnership programare more likely to stay in childwelfare than other workers hired atthe same time, and are more likelyto demonstrate self-efficacy andcommitment to child welfare.
University of GeorgiaSchool of Social Work, 2003
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