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Characteristics of the front-line child welfare workforce

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  • Edwards, Frank
  • Wildeman, Christopher

Abstract

In this study, we provide new national- and state-level estimates of workload and workforce instability among child welfare agencies using previously unavailable data that includes unique identifiers for US child welfare caseworkers in 46 states and supervisors in 43 states. We identify and describe 139,921 unique caseworkers and 31,124 unique supervisors who were in the child welfare workforce between 2003 and 2015. The median caseworker handles 55 cases annually and is on the job for about 1.8 years. The median state has an annual front-line caseworker turnover rate of between 14 and 22% annually, and a supervisor turnover rate of about 20% annually.

Suggested Citation

  • Edwards, Frank & Wildeman, Christopher, 2018. "Characteristics of the front-line child welfare workforce," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 13-26.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:89:y:2018:i:c:p:13-26
    DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2018.04.013
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Benton, Amy D., 2016. "Understanding the diverging paths of stayers and leavers: An examination of factors predicting worker retention," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 70-77.
    2. Fluke, John D. & Corwin, Tyler W. & Hollinshead, Dana M. & Maher, Erin J., 2016. "Family preservation or child safety? Associations between child welfare workers' experience, position, and perspectives," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 210-218.
    3. Williams, Nathaniel J. & Glisson, Charles, 2013. "Reducing turnover is not enough: The need for proficient organizational cultures to support positive youth outcomes in child welfare," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 35(11), pages 1871-1877.
    4. Lizano, Erica L. & Mor Barak, Michalle, 2015. "Job burnout and affective wellbeing: A longitudinal study of burnout and job satisfaction among public child welfare workers," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 18-28.
    5. Griffiths, Austin & Royse, David & Culver, Kalee & Piescher, Kristine & Zhang, Yanchen, 2017. "Who stays, who goes, who knows? A state-wide survey of child welfare workers," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 110-117.
    6. Kim, Hyosu & Kao, Dennis, 2014. "A meta-analysis of turnover intention predictors among U.S. child welfare workers," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 47(P3), pages 214-223.
    7. Williams, Sharon E. & Nichols, Quienton l. & Kirk, Alan & Wilson, Takeisha, 2011. "A recent look at the factors influencing workforce retention in public child welfare," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 33(1), pages 157-160, January.
    8. Fernandes, Gretta M., 2016. "Organizational climate and child welfare workers' degree of intent to leave the job: Evidence from New York," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 80-87.
    9. Kim, Hansung, 2011. "Job conditions, unmet expectations, and burnout in public child welfare workers: How different from other social workers?," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 33(2), pages 358-367, February.
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    Cited by:

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    3. Radey, Melissa & Wilke, Dina J., 2023. "Extent, trajectory, and determinants of child welfare turnover and exit destinations," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).
    4. Orsi-Hunt, Rebecca & Harrison, Courtney L. & Rockwell, Kayla E. & Barbee, Anita P., 2023. "Addressing secondary traumatic stress, burnout, resilience and turnover in the child welfare workforce: Results from a 6-month, cluster-randomized control trial of Resilience Alliance," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 151(C).
    5. Osborne, Cynthia & Huffman, Jennifer & Caldera, Selena & Lipton Galbraith, Anna, 2020. "The influence of field-based training on caseworker turnover," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    6. Curry, Ashley, 2020. "Envisioning a reflective, relationship-based approach to termination in child welfare: The importance of thinking, feeling, and doing," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 117(C).
    7. Kothari, Brianne H. & Chandler, Kelly D. & Waugh, Andrew & McElvaine, Kara K. & Jaramillo, Jamie & Lipscomb, Shannon, 2021. "Retention of child welfare caseworkers: The role of case severity and workplace resources," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    8. Engell, Thomas & Kirkøen, Benedicte & Aarons, Gregory A. & Hagen, Kristine Amlund, 2020. "Individual level predictors of implementation climate in child welfare services," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    9. Lushin, Victor & Katz, Colleen C. & Julien-Chinn, Francie J. & Lalayants, Marina, 2023. "A burdened workforce: Exploring burnout, job satisfaction and turnover among child welfare caseworkers in the era of COVID-19," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 148(C).
    10. Engell, Thomas & Løvstad, Anne Marte & Kirkøen, Benedicte & Ogden, Terje & Amlund Hagen, Kristine, 2021. "Exploring how intervention characteristics affect implementability: A mixed methods case study of common elements-based academic support in child welfare services," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
    11. Boraggina-Ballard, Lena & Sobeck, J. & Honig, D., 2021. "What motivates highly trained child welfare professionals to stay or leave?," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 124(C).
    12. Cross, Theodore P. & Chiu, Yu-Ling & Havig, Kirsten & Lee, Laura & Tran, Steve P., 2021. "Evaluation of a simulation training program for new child protection investigators: A survey of investigators in the field," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 131(C).

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