The child welfare workforce is facing major staff shortages.

To address this, many agencies are prioritizing the recruitment of new professionals. And CWEL is here to help uncover the most effective ways to reach the future workforce.

This page highlights key insights from our latest research, conducted in collaboration with the award-winning creative agency milli. Then, it provides real recruitment strategies that account for these learnings.

When attracting talent into this profession, it helps to understand our audience: who are future child welfare professionals?

To find out, we spoke with current and former child welfare professionals about what drew them to the work, what led them to leave, or what allowed them to stay.

This research reveals the thoughts, behaviors, and motivations of child welfare professionals.

Research methodology

One-on-one, in-depth interviews with 15 experienced individuals across child welfare:

  • Case-carrying professionals and surrounding functions supporting child welfare, including lawyers and domestic violence center representatives
  • Newly-minted case workers (less than three years of experience)
  • Administrators with 10-20 years of case work experience

Core questions

What are the perceptions of case workers, both internal and external, that affect the job?

How did people get started in the field, and what made them stay?

What is the impact of lived vs learned experience on the job?

What are the barriers facing individuals who are considering entering this space?

What are the key career shifts that may impact how we talk about working in this space?

Here’s what we found…

When I tell people I work in child welfare, the conversation stops and I have to change the subject.

I’m not just impacting this one family, I’m impacting every generation to come.

I see children from families I helped having their own families and it’s immeasurable.

Child welfare is the most misunderstood but absolutely necessary thing we’ve ever had. Child welfare is just the lightning rod that attracts all sorts of things that need to be fixed.

The negative public perception of child welfare affected people’s daily lives and social circles.

Yet they were still motivated to do the work.

Why? Because of the change they could make for generations to come.

The negative public perception of child welfare affected people’s daily lives and social circles.

When I tell people I work in child welfare, the conversation stops and I have to change the subject.

I’m not just impacting this one family, I’m impacting every generation to come.

I see children from families I helped having their own families and it’s immeasurable.

Child welfare is the most misunderstood but absolutely necessary thing we’ve ever had. Child welfare is just the lightning rod that attracts all sorts of things that need to be fixed.

Yet they were still motivated to do the work.

Why? Because of the change they could make for generations to come.

Paths into the career varied. There was also a generational difference around work norms, including how long to stay in a job.

Many set out for other professions at first, especially ones that work with children, like teaching and nursing. Early-career professionals were more likely to see their roles as temporary, and expressed interest in exploring other opportunities in the future. For some veteran professionals, this signaled a lack of commitment; however, the shift is reflective of trends across industries. It might also allow for new, creative ways to recruit.

I fell into child welfare after being a teacher. I realized I loved the kids, loved the work, but wanted to pivot out of education.

I wanted to be a doctor, but a professor-prompted request to write about life led me to find my passion of working in child welfare.

Paths into the career varied. There was also a generational difference around work norms, including how long to stay in a job.

I fell into child welfare after being a teacher. I realized I loved the kids, loved the work, but wanted to pivot out of education.

I wanted to be a doctor, but a professor-prompted request to write about life led me to find my passion of working in child welfare.

Many set out for other professions at first, especially ones that work with children, like teaching and nursing. Early-career professionals were more likely to see their roles as temporary, and expressed interest in exploring other opportunities in the future. For some veteran professionals, this signaled a lack of commitment; however, the shift is reflective of trends across industries. It might also allow for new, creative ways to recruit.

I was baptized by fire. Second day of work I was in court.

Insights like this one help us better understand the workforce and the barriers it faces. But you may be noticing that recruitment alone isn’t going to lead to a robust, supported child welfare profession. To retain existing staff, CWEL has tailored support available. Reach out to us to explore strategies that can help your teams with issues like moral injury and healthy leadership.

The two biggest barriers to working in child welfare were moral injury and a lack of support from leadership.

Moral injury is the psychological harm people experience when they act against their values. Lack of support showed up in a few ways, one being overwhelming expectations early on. On the other end, experienced professionals felt that leaders were gatekeeping growth opportunities.

The two biggest barriers to working in child welfare were moral injury and a lack of support from leadership.

I was baptized by fire. Second day of work I was in court.

Moral injury is the psychological harm people experience when they act against their values. Lack of support showed up in a few ways, one being overwhelming expectations early on. On the other end, experienced professionals felt that leaders were gatekeeping growth opportunities.

Insights like this one help us better understand the workforce and the barriers it faces. But you may be noticing that recruitment alone isn’t going to lead to a robust, supported child welfare profession. To retain existing staff, CWEL has tailored support available. Reach out to us to explore strategies that can help your teams with issues like moral injury and healthy leadership.

Child welfare professionals with lived expertise provided a deeper connection to children and families and a wider sense of cultural relativity.

For child welfare professionals with lived expertise—those who experienced the foster care system as children—the possibility of re-encountering painful memories was a significant consideration. But when appropriately supported, their experiences provided a deeper connection to children and families and a wider sense of cultural relativity.

I got into this work because I personally know what the impact of a bad case worker can be.

Others [without lived expertise] would make assumptions, I would ask questions. They thought she was showing up drunk during our visits. Turns out she was just having a hard time adjusting to new medication.

Child welfare professionals with lived expertise provided a deeper connection to children and families and a wider sense of cultural relativity.

I got into this work because I personally know what the impact of a bad case worker can be.

Others [without lived expertise] would make assumptions, I would ask questions. They thought she was showing up drunk during our visits. Turns out she was just having a hard time adjusting to new medication.

For child welfare professionals with lived expertise—those who experienced the foster care system as children—the possibility of re-encountering painful memories was a significant consideration. But when appropriately supported, their experiences provided a deeper connection to children and families and a wider sense of cultural relativity.

Child welfare professionals shared with us the key characteristics needed to thrive in this space: 

Revolutionary outlook

Grit and perseverance

Questioning mindset

Openness to new info & ideas

Child welfare professionals shared with us the key characteristics needed to thrive in this space: 

Revolutionary outlook

Grit and perseverance

Questioning mindset

Openness to ideas

Turn these insights to action: Your new recruitment roster has arrived!

With a better understanding of the workforce, you can now leverage these insights to inform your recruitment efforts. See five recommendations below, and challenge your agency to put these into practice.

Engage in narrative work to share stories about the supportive, not coercive, philosophy behind this work. This takes time and consistent effort, and should be a focus of agency engagement with communities online and in person. Note that this must be carried out alongside programmatic changes that reduce coercive practices, should any be present. Messaging should be authentic and honest, not performative.

Use language that will attract people looking to a “for now” role where they can grow and gain transferable skills. (And who knows, maybe they’ll decide to stay!) Example messaging: “Make a tangible impact in your community on your way to what’s next: Gain transferable skills in child welfare.”

Reach people with lived expertise who may be interested in working in child welfare. (Note: Make sure to design messaging alongside people with lived expertise.) An example might be: “I wanted to help children and families like mine. That’s why I became a child welfare professional. You can make a difference too—learn how.”

Reach people in related spaces, like teachers. For example, have your job posts show up when people search for “teaching jobs.” To do this, add wording like, “If you’ve thought about a career in teaching, a job in social services may be right for you!” and “Our agency will count education or years in teaching as relevant experience.”

Speak directly about the characteristics you’re looking for: “Calling all people interested in making an impact on generations of families! If you are creative, open-minded, and always questioning the systems at hand, child welfare needs YOU.”

Turn these insights to action: Your new recruitment roster has arrived!

With a better understanding of the workforce, you can now leverage these insights to inform your recruitment efforts. See five recommendations below, and challenge your agency to put these into practice.

Engage in narrative work to share stories about the supportive, not coercive, philosophy behind this work. This takes time and consistent effort, and should be a focus of agency engagement with communities online and in person. Note that this must be carried out alongside programmatic changes that reduce coercive practices, should any be present. Messaging should be authentic and honest, not performative.

Use language that will attract people looking to a “for now” role where they can grow and gain transferable skills. (And who knows, maybe they’ll decide to stay!) Example messaging: “Make a tangible impact in your community on your way to what’s next: Gain transferable skills in child welfare.”

Reach people with lived expertise who may be interested in working in child welfare. (Note: Make sure to design messaging alongside people with lived expertise.) An example might be: “I wanted to help children and families like mine. That’s why I became a child welfare professional. You can make a difference too—learn how.”

Reach people in related spaces, like teachers. For example, have your job posts show up when people search for “teaching jobs.” To do this, add wording like, “If you’ve thought about a career in teaching, a job in social services may be right for you!” and “Our agency will count education or years in teaching as relevant experience.”

Speak directly about the characteristics you’re looking for: “Calling all people interested in making an impact on generations of families! If you are creative, open-minded, and always questioning the systems at hand, child welfare needs YOU.”

Interested in more of our workforce recruitment and retention support?