Social work education and Title IV-E program participation as predictors of entry-level knowledge among public child welfare workers

a r t i c l e i n f o Given the resources expended in promoting social work education and specialized training in child welfare as a means to increase the knowledge and competency of public child welfare (PCW) workers, research in this area is important to evaluate the outcomes of such efforts. The current study adds to the literature in this area by examining the performance of newly-hired PCW workers on objective tests of child welfare-related knowledge. Workers with Master of Social Work (MSW) degrees were compared to those with other degrees to examine whether there were differences in performance by social work education on an overall test of knowledge and two tests assessing for specific knowledge areas. The study also examined whether participation in Title IV-E stipend-based programs was a factor in test performance among only those workers who had MSW degrees. The findings supported the hypothesis that workers with MSW degrees would score higher on all measures when compared to those with other degrees. The results also supported the hypothesis that workers with MSW degrees who participated in Title IV-E programs would score higher than those with MSW degrees who did not participate in such programs. Implications for the PCW field and future research in this area are discussed. The field of child welfare is always evolving in response to changes in both policy mandates and the presenting problems of families referred to public child welfare (PCW) agencies, yet one constant is that a qualified and well-trained workforce is necessary in order to successfully navigate the ever-changing system and provide effective services to vulnerable clients (Gleeson, Smith, & Dubois, 1993). Social work education and training specifically in the area of child welfare have historically been relied upon to ensure that PCW workers are indeed qualified and well-trained. For example, federal funding through Title IV-B, Section 426 and Title IV-E provides states with resources for training programs for prospective and current child welfare workers in order to ensure a qualified and competent PCW workforce. One way that Title IV-E funds are used is to provide stipends to students in social work degree programs along with specialized PCW experience and training (e.g., internships at PCW agencies and child welfare-related courses) in exchange for a commitment to working at a PCW agency upon graduation. Although there is literature suggesting the effectiveness of social work education in increasing the knowledge …