ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Since 1995, Colorado has had a Title IV-E child welfare Stipend Program, most recently involving four universities in partnership with the Colorado Department of Human Services. OBJECTIVE: A ten-year cohort study was conducted to understand program graduates' experiences with organizational commitment, the impact of stipends on child welfare professional identity and desire to remain in the child welfare field. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: The mixed methods evaluation involved 245 stipend graduates from 2006 to 2016 from Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) and Master of Social Work (MSW) programs and included an online survey and focus groups. RESULTS: Results indicate stipend graduates remained in the workforce beyond payback periods, felt prepared for the job, appreciated the skills and networks gained from their programs, and expressed gratitude for the financial assistance. Graduates identified workforce factors including peer support, supervisor support, and mobility in the agency as key retention sources for remaining in child welfare.
Subject(s)
Child Welfare/psychology , Employment/psychology , Job Satisfaction , Personnel Loyalty , Students/psychology , Adolescent , Adult , Cohort Studies , Colorado , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Social Work/education , Training Support , Universities , Young AdultABSTRACT
In July 2006, the American Humane Association and the Loyola University Chicago School of Social Work facilitated a roundtable to address the emerging issue of immigration and its intersection with child welfare systems. More than 70 participants from 10 states and Mexico joined the roundtable, representing the fields of higher education, child welfare, international immigration, legal practice, and others. This roundtable created a transnational opportunity to discuss the emerging impact of migration on child welfare services in the United States and formed the basis of a continued multidisciplinary collaboration designed to inform and impact policy and practice at the local, state, and national levels. This paper presents the results of the roundtable discussion and summarizes the emerging issues that participants identified as requiring attention by child welfare systems to facilitat positive outcomes of child safety, permanency, and well-being. Suggestions for further research and implications for policy and practice are also presented.
