The following resources describe efforts to develop and nurture partnerships between public child welfare agencies and universities in order to enhance recruitment and retention efforts. University-agency partnerships play a vital role in recruiting, supporting, and preparing the current and future child welfare workforce. These partnerships include bachelor of social work (B.S.W.) and master of social work (M.S.W.) traineeship programs, local child welfare agency engagement strategies, and specialized child welfare curriculums.
Action Brief: Creating and Sustaining Effective and Outcome-Oriented Child Welfare University-Agency Research Partnerships (PDF - 399 KB)
National Association of Social Workers, Social Work Policy Institute (2014)
Provides a guide for social work education programs partnering with child welfare agencies on how to develop research-based principles and form effective partnerships. The toolkit discusses implementation of evidence-based practices, elements of successful partnerships, and challenges to sustaining partnerships.
Building an Evidence-Driven Child Welfare Workforce: A University-Agency Partnership (PDF - 422 KB)
Lery, Wiegmann, & Berrick (2015)
Journal of Social Work Education, 51(2)
Describes a university-agency partnership in child welfare that used continuous quality improvement to help child welfare workers improve decisionmaking and become more responsive to the needs of the children and families served.
Ready, Set, Go…Again: Renewing an Academy-Agency Child Welfare Partnership (PDF - 369 KB)
Pierce, McGuire, & Howes (2015)
Journal of Social Work Education, 51(2)
Discusses the development of a university-agency partnership between a school of social work and a child welfare agency. The article highlights this partnership as an example of how the two communities can inform each other and work together to enhance the well-being of children and families.
Social Work Educator Resources: University-Agency Partnerships
National Child Welfare Workforce Institute (2019)
Provides information and resources on university-agency partnerships in child welfare, including examples of successful partnerships, reference lists, and information on trainings.
Traineeships and University-Agency Partnerships
National Child Welfare Workforce Institute (2014)
Examines university-agency partnerships in child welfare and gives summaries of 12 traineeship programs included in these partnerships.
University-Child Welfare Agency Partnership Helps Build Evidence-Driven Workforce
Children's Bureau Express, 18(2), (2017)
Provides an example of a university-agency partnership in San Francisco working to implement continuous quality improvement as a tool to ensure greater use of evidence-based practices.
University-Agency Partnerships (PDF - 132 KB)
National Child Welfare Workforce Institute (2016)
Summarizes an article reviewing some necessary strategies to building and maintaining effective university-agency partnerships in child welfare. The resource presents four general strategies and explains each.