ABSTRACT
This article describes the development and initial implementation of a new employee selection protocol (ESP) for child welfare grounded in the results of recent large-scale employee retention studies and a set of research-based, minimally essential knowledge, skills, abilities, and values. The complete ESP consists of a sequenced set of Web- and site-based assessment processes and procedures for potential applicants. Using the ESP, applicants and employers make informed decisions about the goodness of fit between the applicant and the demands of a career in child welfare. To date, the new ESP has been piloted in three Georgia Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) regions and implemented by all nine colleges and universities participating in IV-E child welfare education programs. Evaluation data collected from students and new employees in one DFCS region strongly support the value of the ESP Web-based activities to make a more informed decision about whether to apply for the IV-E stipends and child welfare positions. Feedback from trained ESP assessors supports the value of various ESP activities. A major goal of implementing the ESP is to select more professionally committed and highly qualified applicants to strengthen employee retention and outcomes for children and families.
Subject(s)
Child Welfare , Job Satisfaction , Personnel Selection/methods , Social Work , Career Choice , Child , Humans , Organizational Innovation , Personnel Selection/organization & administration , Pilot Projects , Research Design , Self-Assessment , WorkforceABSTRACT
This paper describes the implementation of a Title IV-E child welfare training program in Louisiana. A collaborative arrangement between the state child welfare agency and seven state university social work programs provides for student monetary stipends in return for child welfare training and work as public child welfare employees upon graduation. On a test of child welfare knowledge, students in MSW and BSW programs scored higher following child welfare training; BSW student stipend recipients made greater gains than non-recipients when controlling for initial scores. MSW students' results appear to approach significance; they may not be significant due to low power of the statistical analysis. Child welfare agency retention of the stipend student graduates is considered good by the agency.
