IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/cysrev/v89y2018icp13-26.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Characteristics of the front-line child welfare workforce

Author

Listed:
  • 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
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0190740918300823
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.childyouth.2018.04.013?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    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.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Pharris, Angela B. & Munoz, Ricky T. & Hellman, Chan M., 2022. "Hope and resilience as protective factors linked to lower burnout among child welfare workers," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 136(C).
    2. 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).
    3. 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).
    4. 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).
    5. 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).
    6. 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).
    7. 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).
    8. 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).
    9. 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).
    10. 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).
    11. 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).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Smith, Brenda D. & Prichard, Caroline & Boltz, Laura D., 2016. "Do child welfare job preview videos reflect evidence on retention and turnover?," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 210-216.
    2. 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.
    3. 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).
    4. Li, Yong & Huang, Hui & Chen, Yi-Yi, 2020. "Organizational climate, job satisfaction, and turnover in voluntary child welfare workers," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    5. 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).
    6. 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).
    7. 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).
    8. King, Erin A., 2021. "Child welfare workers’ experiences of client-perpetrated violence: Implications for worker mental health," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).
    9. Burns, Desirée D. & Langenderfer-Magruder, Lisa & Yelick, Anna & Wilke, Dina J., 2023. "What else is there to say? Reflections of newly-hired child welfare workers by retention status," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).
    10. Salloum, Alison & Choi, Mi Jin & Stover, Carla Smith, 2018. "Development of a trauma-informed self-care measure with child welfare workers," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 108-116.
    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. Miller, J. Jay & Donohue-Dioh, Jessica & Niu, Chunling & Shalash, Nada, 2018. "Exploring the self-care practices of child welfare workers: A research brief," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 84(C), pages 137-142.
    13. 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).
    14. Smith, Richard J. & Clark, Sherrill J., 2011. "Does job resource loss reduce burnout and job exit for professionally trained social workers in child welfare?," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 33(10), pages 1950-1959, October.
    15. Boonzaaier, Emma & Truter, Elmien & Fouché, Ansie, 2021. "Occupational risk factors in child protection social work: A scoping review," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 123(C).
    16. Potter, Cathryn C. & Leake, Robin & Longworth-Reed, Laricia & Altschul, Inna & Rienks, Shauna, 2016. "Measuring organizational health in child welfare agencies," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 31-39.
    17. Affrunti, Nicholas W. & Mehta, Tara & Rusch, Dana & Frazier, Stacy, 2018. "Job demands, resources, and stress among staff in after school programs: Neighborhood characteristics influence associations in the job demands-resources model," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 366-374.
    18. Kim, HaeJung & Hopkins, Karen M., 2017. "The quest for rural child welfare workers: How different are they from their urban counterparts in demographics, organizational climate, and work attitudes?," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 291-297.
    19. Pharris, Angela B. & Munoz, Ricky T. & Hellman, Chan M., 2022. "Hope and resilience as protective factors linked to lower burnout among child welfare workers," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 136(C).
    20. 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.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:89:y:2018:i:c:p:13-26. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/childyouth .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.