DEVELOPING A CHILD WELFARE WORKFORCE USING A COMMUNITY APPROACH
Keywords:
child welfare workers, Title IV-E, retention, Colorado, RomaniaAbstract
This paper is a brief summary of how the state of Colorado, counties in Colorado, and universities work together to address the critical need for child welfare social workers. This is a challenge in all parts of the state, but especially in rural areas. The role of each key stakeholder, the need for collaboration, and current innovations in the facilitation of the IV-E stipend program such as part time stipends, rural incentives, and online education are addressed. Agency commitment as a key factor to worker retention is also discussed as a feature of how the stipend program is administered by the IV-E stipend committee. Opportunities for additional innovations, such as international exchange with child welfare social work students in Romania are also raised.Â
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