Exploring the relationship between employment-based social capital, job stress, burnout, and intent to leave among child protection workers: An age-based path analysis model

Research suggests that age and organizational factors are consistently linked with job stress, burnout, and intent to leave among child protection workers. However, no study has contextualized how age matters with regards to these adverse employee outcomes. We conducted a theory driven path analysis that identifies sources of employment-based social capital, job stress, burnout, and intent to leave among two age groups. We used a statewide purposive sample of 209 respondents from a public child welfare organization in a New England state in the United States. Results suggest that the paths to job stress, burnout and intent to leave differed by age group. Social capital dimensions were more influential in safeguarding against job stress for older workers compared to younger workers. Our results justify creating workplace interventions for younger workers that target areas of the organization where relational support could enhance the quality of social interactions within the organization. Organizations may need to establish intervention efforts aimed at younger workers by creating different structures of support that can assist them to better deal with the pressures and demands of child protection work.     

Organizational climate and child welfare workers' degree of intent to leave the job: Evidence from New York

With increasingly unstable workforce in child welfare agencies, it is critical to understand what organizational factors lead to intent to leave the job based on job search behaviors. Using recent survey data collected among 359 child welfare workers from eight agencies in New York State during 2009–2011 and a Structural Equation Model (SEM) method, this study examines the relationship between employee perceptions of organizational climate and the degree of intent to leave the job (thinking, looking and taking actions related to a new job). Fifty-seven percent (n = 205) reported that they had considered looking for a new job in the past year. Bivariate analyses indicated that there were significant differences between those who looked for a job and those who did not look for a job in the past year. SEM analysis revealed that four organizational climate factors were predictive of decreasing the degree of intent to leave the job: Perceptions on organizational justice was most predictive factor for thinking of a new job followed by organizational support, work overload and job importance. The findings of this study help us understand the employee perceptions of different organizational factors that impact employee turnover especially from the time an employee thinks of leaving the job to actually taking concrete actions related to a new job.     

Exploring the self-care practices of child welfare workers: A research brief

Child welfare workers experience higher rates of vicarious trauma, workplace stress, and compassion fatigue, when compared to other social service workers. Increasingly, social service agencies, in general, and child welfare agencies, specifically, recognize the importance of self-care in assuaging these problematic employee outcomes. However, research that explicitly examines the self-care practices of child welfare workers in nominal. This study brief explores the self-care practices of child welfare workers (N = 222) in one southeastern state. Results reveal that child welfare workers only engage in self-care at moderate levels. Additionally, data suggests that variables such as health status, current financial status, and relationship status significantly impact personal and professional self-care practices, respectively. After a terse review of relevant literature, this brief will explicate findings associated with this study, and identify salient discussion points and implications for child welfare training, practice, and research.     

A qualitative study of 369 child welfare professionals' perspectives about factors contributing to employee retention and turnover

A statewide qualitative study of personal and organizational factors contributing to employees' decisions to either remain or leave employment in child welfare is described. Of particular interest was identifying factors related to employee retention. Professional staff (n = 369) in a state public child welfare agency, representing all levels of the agency and regions of the state, participated in 58 focus group interviews comprising some 1200 person hours of data collection. Core findings of the results are presented and discussed in view of information from other recent child welfare workforce studies. Recommendations and implications of the results for policy and practice are described.     

Advancing case manager motivation in child welfare: Job control's curvilinear relationship and instrumental feedback's moderating influence

To date, no published empirical studies in the field of child welfare (or social work) have investigated the curvilinear relationship between job characteristics and any aspect of employee functioning. The present study addressed this research gap by testing job control's direct and interactive curvilinear effects on motivation using a sample of 419 county-based public sector child welfare case managers. Consistent with Cavanaugh, Boswell, Roehling, and Boudreau's (2000) challenge–hindrance framework, study findings revealed a significant curvilinear job control × linear instrumental feedback interaction. No support, however, was found for a direct curvilinear effect for job control. Empirical results advance the child welfare literature by being the first to demonstrate how job characteristics impact the motivation of child welfare case managers in a curvilinear manner. Study data also clarify prior nonsignificant tests of Warr's (1987) vitamin model and extend seminal findings from Karasek's (1979) job demands–control model. Finally, instrumental feedback's capacity to integrate three well-established but previously unrelated models of occupational health is discussed.     

Organizational tenure among child welfare workers,burnout, stress,and intent to leave: Does employment-based social capital make a difference?

Research has shown that child welfare organizations have a prominent role in safeguarding their workers from experiencing high levels of job stress and burnout, which can ultimately lead to increased thoughts of leaving. However, it is not clear whether these relationships are shaped by their length of organizational tenure. A cross-sectional research design that included a statewide purposive sample of 209 child welfare workers was used to test a theoretical model of employment-based social capital to examine how paths to job stress, burnout, and intent to leave differ between workers who have worked in a child welfare organization for less than 3 years compared to those with 3 years or more of employment in one organization. Path analysis results indicate that when a mixture of dimensions of employment-based social capital are present, they act as significant direct protective factors in decreasing job stress and indirectly shape burnout and intent to leave differently based on organizational tenure. Thus, organizations may have to institute unique intervention efforts for both sets of workers that provide immediate and long-term structures of support, resources, and organizational practices given that their group-specific needs may change over time.     

Societal factors impacting child welfare: Re-validating the Perceptions of Child Welfare Scale

ObjectiveThis research examines the psychometric properties of the Perceptions of Child Welfare Scale (PCWS) by seeking to understand the differences between workers' perceptions of how society views them based upon job title by revalidating the PCWS with a sample of administrators and clinicians.MethodsConfirmatory factor analysis was utilized to analyze data on 165 administrators and 153 clinical child welfare workers.ResultsThe final model consisted of three latent variables with ten indicators related to stigma, value, and respect ([X²] = 167.6, [p] = 0.00; [RMSEA] = 0.07; 90% [CI]: 0.06–0.09; [CFI] = 0.95; [TLI] = 0.95).DiscussionThe factors found in the previous study were confirmed using an entirely different sample of child welfare workers. The factors value, stigma, and respect were confirmed across the sample based upon whether the workers were administrators or clinicians. This provides reassurance that measuring how workers perceive they are viewed by those outside the child welfare system does not vary based upon job title.     

Understanding the diverging paths of stayers and leavers: An examination of factors predicting worker retention

The retention of qualified, competent staff has been a longstanding challenge for child welfare agencies. Given the stressful nature of child welfare work, difficulties with recruitment and retention of staff may not be surprising. However, considering the costs of chronic turnover, efforts to increase retention are crucial. The current study utilizes a large sample (n = 1102) of Title IV-E graduates from one statewide consortium in order to explore the usefulness of a conceptual model for understanding retention and turnover of workers in public child welfare. Logistic regression models reflect that at least one variable from each of four categories (worker, job-extrinsic, job-intrinsic, responses to job) predicted retention. Implications for child welfare workforce research, agency practice, and Title IV-E MSW programs are discussed.     

The relationship between parent immigration status and concrete support service use among Latinos in child welfare: Findings using the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-being (NSCAWII)

The underutilization of concrete services by immigrants is widely documented across several service sectors, yet evidence is lacking on the use of such services among immigrants reported to child welfare for the purposes of reducing maltreatment. It has been suggested that Latino immigrants involved with the child welfare system may face steep challenges to receiving needed services due to issues surrounding legal status, language and cultural barriers. The purpose of this study was to determine whether referral to and receipt of concrete services by Latino families reported to child welfare agencies, was associated with legal immigration status. The sample included children of Latino parents who participated in the second National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-being (NSCAWII), who remained in the home following a child welfare investigation (n = 561). Over a third (37%) of Latino families were referred for at least one concrete service, yet only 17% received any. Weighted logistic regression models showed that families in which the primary caregiver was undocumented had significantly lower odds (OR = .24) of receiving services once referred. Families who had trouble paying for basic necessities (OR = 7.52), those with active domestic violence in the home (OR = 4.98), and those receiving ongoing child welfare services (OR = 4.52) had increased odds of referral for services by the caseworker. The odds of receiving services increased when the primary caregiver was unemployed (OR = 5.24), when there was domestic violence in the home (OR = 4.59), and with the receipt of child welfare agency services (OR = 8.83). There appears to be an unmet need for concrete services among Latinos investigated by child welfare, as demonstrated in the gap between overall service referral and receipt. A parent's legal status may be one reason for that unmet need, implying that children of undocumented parents are less likely to have basic needs met to mitigate economic stress and reduce maltreatment risk upon contact with child welfare. Policy recommendations and implications for child welfare practice are discussed.     

Trends in state budgets and child outcomes during and post child welfare class action litigation

Litigation is the most prevalent mechanism for comprehensive child welfare system reform. Litigation has resulted in increased funding to child welfare systems. This study assesses the impact of litigation on budgets during and after litigation and the budgets correlation with child outcomes. This mixed methods study analyzes 7 years post-litigation data in 4 state case studies. Individual interviews were conducted with key stakeholders (N = 17) in the lawsuits to determine what impact the lawsuit had on budgets and outcomes. Findings indicate that litigation likely impacts outcomes at least partially through increased financial investments (decreased reunification impacting decreased reentry after reunification and rate served); however, the impact of these outcomes is mitigated because financial investment in child welfare is not sustained.     

Who stays,who goes,who knows? A state-wide survey of child welfare workers

Child welfare workforce turnover remains a significant problem with dire consequences. Designed to assist in its retention efforts, an agency supported state-wide survey was employed to capture worker feedback and insight into turnover. This article examines the quantitative feedback from a Southern state's frontline child welfare workforce (N = 511), examining worker intent to leave as those who intend to stay employed at the agency (Stayers), those who are undecided (Undecided), and those who intend to leave (Leavers). A series of One-Way ANOVAs revealed a stratified pattern of worker dissatisfaction, with stayers reporting highest satisfaction levels, followed by undecided workers, and then leavers in all areas (e.g., salary, workload, recognition, professional development, accomplishment, peer support, and supervision). A Multinomial Logistic Regression model revealed significant (and shared) predictors among leavers and undecided workers in comparison to stayers with respect to dissatisfaction with workload and professional development, and working in an urban area. Additionally, child welfare workers who intend to leave the agency in the next 12 months expressed significant dissatisfaction with supervision and accomplishment, and tended to be younger and professionals of color.     

Sexual and reproductive health policies for foster youth in California: A qualitative study of child welfare professionals' experiences and perceptions of policies

Child welfare professionals and foster parents increasingly suggest the importance of establishing clear and consistent policies and procedures to address the sexual and reproductive health of youth in foster care. The present study examines the content and context of such policies across 18 California counties through a search of publically available county policy documents, and surveys and expert interviews with child welfare professionals (N = 22). A policy framework for agenda setting and policymaking was used to guide the data collection and analysis process. Child welfare professionals were aware of multiple sources of information, support and services for foster youths' sexual and reproductive health, though few practiced in counties with formal policies that outline the resources and support that youth should receive. Participants demonstrated widespread recognition that issues of youth sexual and reproductive health were significant; posing challenges to youth, foster parents and child welfare staff. Identified policy solutions included: 1) training for social workers and foster parents; 2) collaborative partnerships with public health nurses and community providers; 3) data tracking and monitoring of outcomes to assess youth needs and evaluate the impact of programs and policies; and 4) involvement by advocacy organizations in defining problems and advocating for improved services and support for youth in care. Social workers largely perceived that support from child welfare administrators and policy leaders is necessary to prioritize this issue and initiate policy formation. Additional research is needed to further examine the impact of policy mandates on social workers, foster parents and youth in foster care.     

The mediating role of inclusion: A longitudinal study of the effects of leader–member exchange and diversity climate on job satisfaction and intention to leave among child welfare workers

Due to increasing diversity among clients and workers in the public child welfare] sector, it is essential to understand how workforce diversity can be channeled into positive organizational outcomes. Using theories of symbolic interaction, reference groups, and social identity, we tested a conceptual model of the relationships between diversity characteristics, leader–member exchange, diversity climate, perception of inclusion, and job satisfaction and intention to leave among public child welfare workers. The current study used two waves of data from 363 employees of a large urban public child welfare agency in the western United States. Path analysis results indicate that leader–member exchange and diversity climate have a positive effect on job satisfaction through inclusion, and that a positive organizational diversity climate can lower intention to leave through both inclusion and job satisfaction. Findings illustrate how organizational climates of diversity and inclusion affect both job satisfaction and intention to leave, providing insight into organizational factors that can be targeted for workplace interventions.     

The impact of para-professional social workers and community health care workers in Côte d'Ivoire: Contributions to the protection and social support of vulnerable children in a resource poor country

BackgroundResearch indicates a disproportionate impact of HIV and AIDS in sub-Saharan African countries, leading to many vulnerable families and children. Many of these communities have limited resources to support these vulnerable families, especially orphans and vulnerable children (OVC).Study aims and objectiveThis study set out to investigate how para-professional social workers and community health workers (PSWCHW) impact the provision of services and the psychosocial wellbeing and protection of vulnerable children in the community.MethodsThis quasi-experimental research study used data from an independent Save the Children program evaluation study in Côte d'Ivoire. We compared the health and psychosocial wellbeing of identified vulnerable children supported by para-professionals (n = 334) and children not receiving para-professional support (n = 213).FindingsSupport services and activities provided by PSWCHW included encouraging the children to be part of psychosocial support groups. Many of the children reported legal issues that ranged from getting a birth certificate issued to fighting or quarrelling with adults, disputes, public insults, beatings, and refusing to go to school. We found that the engagement of PSWCHW helped three out of four children go to school (compared to only one in four of the children without PSWCHW). PSWCHW also helped the children improve access to health care services.ConclusionsCommunities in sub-Saharan Africa should continue to consider the integrated utilization of para-professional social workers and community health care workers to support and improve psychosocial wellbeing of orphaned and vulnerable children which, in turn, enhances child protection services and access to healthcare.     

Understanding organizations for runaway and homeless youth: A multi-setting quantitative study of their characteristics and effects

Runaway and homeless youth (RHY) are served by specialized settings (e.g., Drop-In Centers, Transitional Living Programs, and multi-program settings), but little is known about the characteristics of these organizations or their effects on RHY’s behavioral and psychosocial outcomes. To address this gap we studied 29 randomly selected diverse settings across New York State, including those in rural, suburban, and urban areas. Within settings, we used the Youth Program Quality Assessment model to observe and rate programs for RHY (N = 53), assess program administrators (N = 30), and conduct anonymous structured assessment batteries with RHY aged 16-21 years (N = 463). We found settings overall evidenced satisfactory-to-high quality on a multi-perspective setting quality score. With respect to RHY’s behavioral outcomes, engagement in school/job training/work was high (81 %), substance use was moderate (mean use: 17 of the past 90 days), and 37 % evidenced involvement in the street economy (e.g., drug dealing, burglary). RHY in Transitional Living Programs and multi-program settings had more engagement in school/job training/work and less involvement in the street economy than their peers in Drop-In Centers. The quality of settings was not associated with these three behavioral outcomes (school/training/work, substance use, street economy), likely due to issues of restricted range. However, higher setting quality was associated with four constructive psychosocial outcomes; namely, RHY’s perceptions that settings foster positive outcomes in these three domains, and perceived resilience. Thus the present study highlights settings’ overall good quality, with some variability, and provides guidance on strategies to assess setting quality. Consistent with the existing literature, RHY in Drop-In Centers are highly vulnerable and may require additional types of services/programs to achieve their potential. Further, while the present study suggests all settings benefit RHY, better quality settings may be able to move beyond meeting RHY’s basic requirements and address higher order relational, psychosocial, and motivational needs. Importantly, fostering a sense of resilience among RHY, as well as young people’s experiences of settings as helpful to them in achieving good behavioral outcomes, may have long-term beneficial effects on RHY’s engagement in other settings, relationships, adaptation, and functioning.     

Expanding the conceptualization of re-entry: The inter-play between child welfare and juvenile services

Re-entry in child welfare is traditionally viewed as a child exiting to permanency and then reentering the child welfare system. Using this approach is effective for understanding child welfare practice from a single-system lens, but gives an incomplete picture of how children may move between related child serving systems. The present study expands the definition of re-entry by examining re-entry for 2259 children who either return to the child welfare system or move into the juvenile justice system after reunification from foster care. When measuring a broader concept of re-entry (into either system) the rate of re-entry went from 18% to 25% - a 33% increase. Regression analyses further suggested that many of the risk and protective factors associated with standard child welfare reentry were also predictive of multisystem re-entry such as having previous child welfare experience (OR = 1.79, p < 0.000), and child behavior as a factor at removal (OR = 1.75, p < 0.000). Findings of this study support the need to continue increasing the conceptualization of re-entry to be more inclusive of related systems as well as continuing to focus research efforts on understanding effective practices within child serving systems so that re-entry into either system is mitigated.     

Finish what you start: A study of Design Team change initiatives' impact on agency climate

This study employs a multi-site longitudinal design to examine the effect of a Design Team intervention on organizational climate. Thirteen private, not-for-profit child welfare agencies from one state participated in a Design Team intervention to address workforce needs. A total of 407 workers from those agencies responded pre and post intervention to a survey that measures worker perceptions of the psychological climate of their organization using the Parker Psychological Climate Survey. Workers in organizations that completed the Design Team intervention had statistically significant increases in three of the four dimensions of the Parker scale. On the role dimension, significant change was noted on all three subscales on the interaction between Time 1 and Time 2 (ambiguity: p = 0.012; conflict: p = 0.04; overload: p = 0.05). On the organization dimension, the justice and support subscales had significant differences in the desired direction (justice: p = 0.05; support: p = 0.03). On the supervisor dimension, significant change was observed in the desired direction for both the goal emphasis and work facilitation subscales (goal emphasis: p = 0.02; work facilitation: p = 0.00). Statistically significant improvements in the organizational climates of child welfare agencies suggest the benefit of future research to test the effectiveness of Design Team interventions in other service areas. These findings build on intervention research with organizations by linking the ability of an organization to fully implement a change initiative to their capacity to improve the workplace climate for employees.     

A structural equation model of the effects of diversity characteristics and inclusion on organizational outcomes in the child welfare workforce

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of diversity characteristics and organizational inclusion on organizational outcomes (e.g., organizational commitment, job satisfaction, and intention to leave) among public child welfare workers. The study used secondary data collected from public child welfare workers across a diversified Mid-Atlantic state. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to test the conceptual model. The results indicated that workers' higher perceptions of inclusion resulted in significantly higher levels of organizational commitment and job satisfaction. Furthermore, higher levels of workers' organizational commitment played a role in significantly reducing their intention to leave. The findings of the study provide practical implications for enhancing diversity management and organizational commitment, including instituting more participative decision-making structures and processes, and creating more accessible organizational information networks.     

Recruitment and retention of child welfare workers in longitudinal research: Successful strategies from the Florida Study of Professionals for Safe Families

Longitudinal panel studies are effective strategies to assess the personal impact of child welfare work, as well as employment outcomes of workers over time. However, longitudinal studies encounter obstacles such as disproportionate attrition that threaten the validity of findings. This paper provides an overview of the Florida Study of Professionals for Safe Families (FSPSF), a 5-year longitudinal panel study of newly hired workers into the child welfare workforce. The purpose of this paper is three-fold: 1) describe the study methodology and recruitment and retention techniques for the FSPSF; 2) illustrate Estrada and colleagues' Tailored Panel Management framework (2014) through FSPSF methodological decisions; and 3) provide guidance and time estimates of key tasks for those interested in undertaking similar projects, with a particular focus on electronic data collection and communication strategies. Initial results are excellent – 84% of all eligible workers completed baseline surveys (n = 1,451). At Wave 2 (6 months), 81% of those workers were retained, with preliminary findings of 84% retention of the original baseline respondents at Wave 3 (12 months).     

Ethnic disproportionality in the child welfare system: A Norwegian national cohort study

This study of Norwegian child welfare clients examined the extent to which ethnic disparities in involvement with the child welfare system can be attributed to ethnic differences in sociodemographic background. Using logistic regression models and a unique dataset constructed by linking child welfare records to national administrative registers for the 1993–1994 birth cohorts, we computed ethnic disparities in the odds of child welfare involvement at age 6–12 (N = 122,894), both before and after adjustments for sociodemographic background. Compared with ethnic Norwegian cohort peers, non-Western children had twice the unadjusted odds of entering the child welfare system (odds ratio = 2.13). However, the data also indicated pronounced ethnic disparities in eight sociodemographic correlates of child welfare involvement. When adjustments for these background factors were modeled, we found no ethnic differences in the odds of child welfare involvement. Our findings suggest that the association between ethnicity and child welfare involvement is confounded by differences in socioeconomic status, maternal social assistance, family size and family structure.