What do Social Workers do with Children?
Jan 23, 2015 | 10:00 am
Being a social worker can be an extremely rewarding job, especially as you see how the people you’re working with conquer their fears and social and economic inabilities. The rewards are even greater when performing social work with children.
The children’s social workers help the little ones living in poverty, being underfed or being abused by adults or other children. These professionals are looking to improve children’s quality of life and they frequently have to deal with problems like illnesses, abuses, discrimination, poverty and homelessness. Child social workers are also extremely concerned with kids’ psychological and social functioning.
The Salary of a Children’s Social Worker
According to USNews.com, those who specialize in social work with children have an annual salary of $41,530. This is what the data from 2012 has revealed. The highest salaries in the field have been reported to be somewhere around $71,000 per year. At the same time, the lowest salary earned by a social worker trained in children’s welfare was $26,720. The best paying employers are the home health care facilities and the school system.
Training and Education
If you want to perform social work with children, then you will be required to have a bachelor’s degree as a mental health assistant or caseworker. Also, extremely useful for this position will be the courses in political science, psychology, economics and sociology. If you are looking to be employed in a health care facility or a school, you will need to follow a social work program and get a master’s degree in this area. Such a program lasts two years, during which you will also have to perform an internship. Depending on the state you want to work in, you might also need a few supervised hours. You should keep in mind that you cannot practice this profession unless you have a license.
The Responsibilities of a Children’s Social Worker
The duties of a person specialized in social work with children can vary vastly from day to day. One day, he or she might have to finalize the adoption of an abandoned child and place him or her within a caring family; the next day, he or she could have to remove a kid from a foster home because of abuse and improper care. If you want to become a social worker for children, you must know that you’ll never have the same routine schedule. This might be a good thing, as you won’t have time to get bored due to the unexpected situations that could appear.
When working with children, you have to leave all the prejudices and theory away and show them that you care for them and you believe in them. By building a connection with young people, you’re already helping them and half of the job is done. Bear in mind that in this profession, you should never give up. You will encounter numerous problems, hostile people and closed doors, but anytime you feel like quitting, just remember the life of a child is in your hands. The responsibility is great, but so are the rewards.