The issue of recruitment and retention of child welfare professionals is reaching crisis proportions and can have a negative impact on the delivery of services to vulnerable children, youth, and families. Resources on this page provide comprehensive, research-based, and practical training models for identifying candidates. In addition, the page also contains information on screening, employment interviews, the use of hiring pools, and other strategies to enhance staff selection.
Arizona Department of Child Safety Staff Retention, Recruitment, and Training (PDF - 1,420 KB)
Arizona Department of Child Safety (2017)
Addresses factors affecting staff retention, such as salaries, training and supervision, and workload. The resource also describes efforts made to strengthen staff training.
How Did Texas Decrease Caseworker Turnover and Stabilize Its Workforce?
Casey Family Programs (2018)
Informs child welfare jurisdictions of strategies to reduce caseworker turnover and strengthen the workforce.
How Do Some States Hire, Train, and Retain Their Hotline Intake Screeners?
Casey Family Programs (2018)
Explores themes and lessons learned from five States on their practices for hiring, training, and retaining intake screeners in their child welfare systems to better inform decision making.
Leadership Academy for Supervisors Take the Lead Series: Screening Strategies
National Child Welfare Workforce Institute
Trains supervisors on how to screen potential child welfare employees to assess their job readiness.
Mind the Gap #3 - Children’s Corps: A Dynamic Approach to Child Welfare Worker Recruitment, Screening and Selection [Video]
National Child Welfare Workforce Institute (2015)
Offers an overview of recruitment, screening, and selection techniques used by Children’s Corps to strengthen the capacity of the child welfare workforce in New York.
NCWWI Reference List: Recruitment, Screening, and Selection (PDF - 92 KB)
National Child Welfare Workforce Institute (2016)
Provides a list of references ranging from 2006 to 2016 related to recruitment, screening, and staff selection.