Keeping Public Child Welfare Workers on the Job

Weaver, Dale; Chang, Jennifer; Clark, Sherrill; Rhee, Siyon

doi:10.1300/j147v31n02_02

Cited by 77 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…While Dickinson & Painter (2009) found intention to quit to be a good predictor of leaving, Weaver et al (2007) found job satisfaction to be a strong predictor of intention to quit but a weak predictor of actually quitting. Clearly there is more research needed on the relationship of job satisfaction and retention.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…4 significant relationship between job satisfaction and turnover (Ellett, Ellett, & Rugutt, 2003;Jayaratne & Chess, 1984;Landsman, 2001;Mor Barak, Levin, Nissly, & Lane, 2006;Mor Barak, Nissly, & Levin, 2001. ; Weaver, Chang, Clark & Rhee, 2007). Studies of Title IV-E traineeship graduates have revealed that those who remained employed in child welfare beyond their required work obligation period reported higher levels of job satisfaction than those who no longer work in the field (Dickinson & Perry, 2002;Cahalane & Sites, 2004).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Work Attitudes and Intention to Quit Among Workers in Private Child Welfare Agencies Operating Under Performance-Based Contracts

Levy

Poertner

Lieberman

2012

Administration in Social Work

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Abstract:Not much is currently known about how employment in child welfare agencies operating under performance-based contracts affects worker attitudes related to retention. This study focuses on the relationship of job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and conflict between work and family to intention to quit among privatized child welfare staff. An online survey was completed by 152 workers employed by private child welfare agencies operating under performance-based contracts. Results indicate that job satisfaction and work-family conflict predicted intention to quit. Implications for agency practice and further research, particularly in the area of work-family conflict, are discussed. . Work attitudes and intention to quit among workers in private child welfare agencies operating under performance-based contracts. Administration in Social Work, 36(2) This research was supported through a cooperative agreement between the University of Kansas School of Social Welfare and the U.S. DHHS/ACF Children's Bureau, Grant Number 90CT0150. The contents of this publication are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Children's Bureau. . Work attitudes and intention to quit among workers in private child welfare agencies operating under performance-based contracts. A stable and supported child welfare workforce is essential to achieving desired outcomes for children and families. Thus, it is of great concern that the estimated annual turnover rates in child welfare range from 30 to 40 percent (U.S. General Accounting Office, 2003). Moreover, there is some evidence to suggest that turnover might be more pervasive within private child welfare agencies. Turnover has been reported to be up to twice as high among private agency workers, when compared with public child welfare workers (The Annie E. Casey Foundation, 2003). Studies have also found private child welfare agency staff less committed than public workers to their agencies and to the field of child welfare (Faller, Grabarek, & Ortega, 2010;Jayaratne & Faller, 2009).While states have turned to privatization in hopes of achieving better outcomes for children and families, only a handful of studies have examined factors related to turnover and retention in privatized child welfare systems (Auerbach, McGowan, Ausberger, StronlinGoltzman & Schudrich, in press;Faller et al., 2010;Jayaratne & Faller, 2009). Furthermore, researchers have yet to examine factors that influence workforce outcomes for child welfare workers within private agencies operating under performance-based contracts.Performance-based contracts (in contrast to traditional fee-for-service contracts) link agency funding to the achievement of outcomes. As a result, these agencies must focus on structuring their workforce to manage financial risks and provide cost-effective services (McBeath & Meezan, 2010). This puts workers under increased pressure to meet deadlines for achieving permanency, finalizing adoptions, or placing children with rel...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Work Attitudes and Intention to Quit Among Workers in Private Child Welfare Agencies Operating Under Performance-Based Contracts

Levy

Poertner

Lieberman

2012

Administration in Social Work

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“…Chances are many Title IV-E and NCWWI scholars have the same positive outlook and self-efficacy when they graduate from their social work programs. Yet, turnover remains a huge concern as we see graduates having caseloads too high too quickly (Weaver et al, 2007) and MSWs reporting that their education is not valued or put to good use in their agencies (Fitch et al, 2014). While educators seem to be doing a good job with competency education and keeping morale high while students are in school, they tend to lose track of their graduates after graduation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, some Title IV-E graduates reported that their newly acquired skills were not put to good use in their agencies when they return to work (Fitch, Parker-Barua, & Watt, 2014). New social workers in child welfare agencies report that high caseloads too soon after initial employment was a key predictor of their leaving the job (Weaver, Chang, Clark, & Rhee, 2007). Studies on student attitudes toward child welfare work and what it might take to persist or remain employed were not evident in the literature.…”

Section: Student Attitudes Toward Child Welfare Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

Competency Curriculum Intervention: Student Task Self-Efficacy and Attitudes in Child Welfare

Pierce

Park

2017

ASW

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Three cohorts of Keywords: Child welfare students; competencies; task self-efficacy; work attitudesFor too long social work organizations that specialize in public child welfare have faced considerable difficulties in recruiting and retaining qualified, experienced practitioners. As a result, the ability of organizations to provide effective services to their clients may be compromised (Daly, Dudley, Finnegan, Jones, & Christiansen, 2001). While the status quo of public child welfare invites many, often conjectural explanations, the hereand-now of how to curb or even to fix the endemic turnover in public child welfare demands increased vigilance and attention. Through their research, Ellett, Ellis, Westbrook, and Dews (2007) have already established the structural persistence of such turnover. Willis, Chavkin, and Leung (2016) agree but go a step further to indicate that turnover is to be expected for a variety of reasons, some of which can be healthy for the agency. These authors describe means by which agencies work not to cut the rates of turnover but to reduce its impact on the agency. Their study does not necessarily take into account the disruption to children and families when they lose a caseworker for reasons such as low pay or high caseloads. The negative impact of turnover on children in the foster care system is well-documented. For example, Flower, McDonald, and Sumski (2005) indicate that higher permanency outcomes for children occur when they have the same caseworker throughout their time with the agency.Much of the research on turnover and retention strategies has addressed two key concerns: the importance of retaining highly educated and skilled workers; and, absent that, the negative impacts on the worker, client, and agency experience in the wake (Mor Barak, Nissly, & Levin, 2001). As noted above, Flower and colleagues (2005) established that

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“…This adverse context reduces an organisations ability to attract staff given the undesirable nature of the work, and to retain staff as they avoid or respond to these stressors (Healy, 2009;Mor Barak, et al, 2006;Mor Barak, et.al., 2001;Reagh, 1994). These impacts flow on to create lower service quality with negative consequences for children and families through poor continuity of service, poor decision making, lack of timely responses, and inconsistent interventions (Briggs, Broadhurst, & Hawkins, 2003;Flower et al, 2005;Horwitz, 1998;Kim & Kao, 2014;Stanley & Goddard, 2002;Weaver, Chang, Clark, & Rhee, 2007;Wagner et al, 2001;Westbrook, Ellis, & Ellett, 2006).…”

Section: Adversity Impacting Child Protection Workersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Witnessing resilience: resilience of child protection workers in Queensland

Russ¹

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Statutory child protection has a reputation for being a crisis-driven, reactive and complex system that responds to the wicked problem of child abuse and neglect. In this context there is evidence of long term workforce issues with recruitment difficulties and high turnover rates. The impact of this work not only at an organisational level but also at an individual level is acknowledged in the literature, with workers being exposed to a range of emotional and psychological challenges. Child protection workers (CPW) commonly face significant adversity such as threats, assaults and high levels of exposure to traumatic material exposing them to both direct and vicarious trauma on an acute, cumulative and chronic basis. Research suggests high rates of burnout and vicarious traumatisation in CPW with resultant effects including individual impacts with consequent impacts on turnover.Although exposed to chronic and cumulative adversity many CPW continue to operate effectively for extended period in this field. The predominant focus of previous research on the effects of this work context on CPW and the workforce has been aligned with psychopathology focusing on the distress experienced and the negative impacts.Resilience is considered to be a normal and more likely outcome for the majority of individuals following an adverse experience. While resilience is a concept which is consistently considered in the field of child protection where it relates to children, little consideration has been given to the resilience of CPW. Resilient CPW are likely to continue in the field for extended periods and provide effective services. This indicates there is benefit in examining the resilience of CPW. Given the limited research on worker resilience, particularly in the field of child protection, there is benefit in seeking to better understand the experiences of CPW as it relates to the development and maintenance of their resilience.Drawing on social constructionism as a theoretical framework, this study explored the understandings and experiences of resilience for CPW. The study considered how frontline CPW, who self-identified as resilient, understood their own resilience, the resilience of other staff, and the contributors to resilience in this adverse context. Semistructured, in-depth interviews were conducted with CPW on two occasions over a period of approximately thirteen months using a reflective approach to gain a deeper understanding of resilience and what affects resilience in this difficult work environment.The understanding of how CPW perceive and experience resilience gained through the study provides insights into how they develop and maintain an ability to work effectively when challenged with ongoing traumatic exposure. The study builds on the understanding of the process of resilience and poses a theoretical model that enhances current understandings of resilience. Although there are limitations to the generalisability of the findings due to the qualitative methodology and sample size, this study provides...

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Keeping Public Child Welfare Workers on the Job

Cited by 77 publications

References 27 publications

Work Attitudes and Intention to Quit Among Workers in Private Child Welfare Agencies Operating Under Performance-Based Contracts

Work Attitudes and Intention to Quit Among Workers in Private Child Welfare Agencies Operating Under Performance-Based Contracts

Competency Curriculum Intervention: Student Task Self-Efficacy and Attitudes in Child Welfare

Witnessing resilience: resilience of child protection workers in Queensland

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