What is it like being a Child Welfare Social Worker?

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The main goal for a child welfare social worker is to make sure kids, together with their families, receive support and proper care and welfare. It is an incredibly rewarding occupation and the good news is that until 2022, the job opportunities in this area are expected to grow by 19%, as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports. The average salary for a child welfare social worker is approximately $40,000 per year. The job of these professionals comes with both advantages and disadvantages, but in the end, you must think that they are meant to make a significant and meaningful difference in other people’s lives.

Educational Requirements

In order to practice in this field, you will be required to have a bachelor’s degree in social work. Sometimes, specialists with degrees in sociology and psychology can also be employed as child welfare social workers. Most of the professionals out there have a master’s degree in social work, which allows them to get additional hands on experience. If you want to have a supervisory function, then you’ll need a doctoral degree.

You are not obligated to have licensure as a child welfare social worker. However, this depends on the employer and if you do need licensure, you have to search for the state requirements to see how you can obtain one.

The Work Environment

Generally, as a child welfare social worker, you will be employed by government-run agencies specialized in this area. Depending on the state, the name of these departments can differ, but they usually have titles such as Department of Family and Protective Services, Child Protective Services, or Department of Family and Child Services.

You could also be employed by non-profit organizations, child advocacy agencies, adoption agencies or foster care.

The Duties of a Child Welfare Social Worker

A social worker practicing child welfare must fight for the children’s lives and protect them from various forms of maltreatment, neglect, abuse or violence. These professionals have to do everything that stands in their power to ensure the emotional, social, psychological and physical wellbeing of the service users. In order to do so, they have to make investigations and numerous home visits, so they can provide support and offer professional assessment. Through home visits, they are able to evaluate whether or not a kid receives proper care from his or her guardians or parents.

Child welfare social workers also have to deal with extensive documentation and perform various administrative tasks. Most of them are required to have a driver’s license and sometimes make home visits by using their own vehicle.

The Skills of a Child Welfare Social Worker

Sometimes, this job can get extremely demanding and stressful, so you will have to prove that you can work under high stress levels. Social workers will have to work independently, with little supervision, so they must have management skills. Moreover, if you want to be a child welfare social worker, you must remain calm in difficult situations and be resilient. Last, but not least, you will have to take care of your own safety when deciding whether or not to enter in the house of a violent or abusive individual. It is a fascinating career path and one that will make you feel alive and allow you to truly make a difference.