Find an Online Psychology Program for You

Featured Online Psychology & Counseling Programs

What Is Child Welfare Social Work?

Sad Kids Hugging Mother

Childhood should be a happy time, filled with memories of warmth, love, and carefree times. Unfortunately, not every child is blessed with loving parents and stable home lives. Some children are forced to cope with upheaval and problems at home, such as abuse, neglect, alcoholism, drug addiction, and poverty. Even in the United States, one of the most advanced countries in the world, some children still want for even the most basic of necessities, including food, shelter, health care, and appropriate clothing.

Child welfare social work is a field of social work that involves making sure children’s needs are taken care of. First and foremost, professionals in this field keep the best interests of all children in mind. They work hard to protect them from deplorable situations and make sure that their needs are met.

Working as a child welfare social worker can be both rewarding and very heart wrenching at times. In most cases, for example, you will be assisting children and families in need of assistance and support. On the other hand, however, you will inevitably run across at least a handful of heartbreaking cases in your career. These are the cases in which you may have to remove children from their homes, or worse yet, cases in which you witness children tolerating deplorable and even dangerous living situations.

Why Do We Need Child Welfare Social Workers?

Although some families may see child welfare social workers as nothing more than nuisances, they serve a very important service. These professionals help ensure that troubled children are cared for properly and have their needs met, so they can grow up to become happy and well adjusted adults.

Featured Social Work Degree w/ Family & Children

Concentration

What Do Child Welfare Social Workers Do?

If you pursue a child welfare social work career, you will find yourself working with children and families in need. Many times, you will deal with children that are in poor living conditions, but you will also find yourself working with children with special needs and behavioral problems as well.

One of the first duties of a child welfare social worker is to identify children or families that may be in need of their services. This might happen when the social worker receives a report of possible problems from such sources as mandated child abuse reporters, teachers, or simply anonymous citizens. In some cases, a child welfare may be able to spot a possible child in need, particularly if she works in a school or other facility that caters to children.

Signs that a child may be in need of the intervention of a child welfare social worker may vary. Children who are frequently getting in trouble, dealing with behavioral issues, or show signs of neglect or abuse are often the children that catch the eye of these types of social workers.

Abuse and neglect, however, are major concerns for most child welfare social workers. The signs of both neglect and abuse can be very subtle at times and difficult to spot to the untrained eye. As a child welfare social worker, you will be trained to recognize signs of neglect and abuse in children and investigate. Below are a few examples of identifying signs of neglect and different types of abuse.

If a child is at a low risk of being immediately injured or otherwise hurt, the social worker will work closely with the child and family to remedy problems in the home. This usually involves setting goals and making a plan to better their situation and fix any problems that may be present. A poverty stricken family that can’t afford proper housing or food, for example, may be given help to find and utilize different government assistant programs.

Periodic evaluations are very important in child welfare cases. Child welfare social workers will frequently meet with children and their families in order to monitor their progress. If few or no positive changes are made, the social worker may then change the original plan and goals.

There may be some cases, however, in which a child welfare social worker may determine that a child’s health or general well-being is at risk. This may happen when the child is being abused, for instance, or when the parents deny that there are any problems in the household. In these situations, the social worker may need to make the decision to remove that child - and possibly any other children - from the home. When this happens, the social worker will arrange for a safe place for the child to stay, such as a foster home, and monitor his progress. In many cases, the social worker will also work with families who try hard to change their situations in hopes of being reunited with their children.

Where Do Child Welfare Social Workers Find Employment?

The majority of child welfare social workers find employment in government social work facilities, at the local, state, or federal level. Child and youth service offices and family services offices, for example, often hire these professionals.

Community health centers and schools might also hire child welfare social workers.

What Are the Education Requirements for a Child Welfare Social Worker?

Social Work LicensesEducation RequirementsEducation LengthAvailable ProgramsLBSW (License Bachelor’s Social Work)Bachelor’s4 YearsOnlineorCampusLMSW (Licensed Master’s Social Worker)Master’s6 YearsOnlineorCampusLCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker)Master’s +3200 Clinical Hours7-8 YearsOnlineorCampus

If you are considering a child welfare social work career, you should complete a social work bachelor’s degree program. In most areas, you will also have to complete several hours of supervised fieldwork to graduate with this type of degree.

Find a social work degree programhere.

What Is the Salary of Child Welfare Social Worker?

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics splits social workers into four categories. One of those categories is child, family and school social workers. According to the BLS, as of May 2022, the median annual salary of a child social worker is$50,820with the top 10 percent of child social workers earning roughly $81,920 and the bottom 10 percent earning roughly $36,380. The salary will depend on education and location. For example, New Jersey pays its child social workers an average salary of $75,590 while Pennsylvania’s annual average salary for the profession is $52,230.

2022 US Bureau of Labor Statistics job market trends and salary figures forchild, family, and school social workersare based on national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed June 2023.

Related ArticlesEmployment Outlook & Career Guidance for Child/Pediatric Social WorkersHow to Deal: When Your Empathy for Clients Is OverwhelmingHow Social Workers Are Changing the WorldDeciding on a Social Work Degree ProgramEmployment Outlook & Career Guidance for Addiction Social WorkersDifference Between MFT & LCSW DegreesEmployment Outlook & Career Guidance for Disability Policy Social Workers

Related CareersStart an Addiction Social Work CareerStart a Public Health Social Worker CareerStart a Social Work CareerStart a Family Social Work CareerHospice & Palliative Social Work CareersMilitary Social Work CareersDeveloping a Career in Corrections Social WorkHow to Become a Clinical Social WorkerStart a Geriatric Social Worker CareerPsychiatric Social Work CareersSocial Work as a Parole OfficerSocial Work Administration CareersServe the Community as a Probation OfficerCommunity Social Worker CareersStart a Medical Social Work CareerBecome a Substance Abuse Social WorkerStart a Mental Health Social Work CareerCareer as a Victim AdvocateStart a Disability Policy Social Work CareerStart a School Social Work Career