Use the resources on this page to find State and local examples of studies, interventions, and recommendations to reduce turnover in the child welfare workforce and increase retention.
Building a 21st Century Children Services Workforce (PDF - 1,198 KB)
Public Children Services Association of Ohio (2022)
Offers recommendations to improve the recruitment and retention of child welfare caseworkers in Ohio based on research on what works in other States and information gathered at the State and county levels.
Caseworker Retention Survey Report: Applied Research in Child Welfare (ARCH) Project (PDF - 1,802 KB)
Raven, Winokur, Holmquist-Johnson, & Kenyon (2018)
Colorado State University, Social Work Research Center
Provides an indepth review of the need for, goals of, implementation of, and findings from the Caseworker Retention Survey that was implemented in 11 Colorado county child welfare agencies. The impact of turnover on the workforce is explored while specific personal, psychological, and organizational interventions are proposed to increase retention.
Child Welfare Policy and Practice Group Assessment Documents
State of Indiana Department of Child Services (2019)
Provides a series of links to documents and reports regarding Indiana’s Department of Child Services’ work with the Child Welfare Policy and Practice Group in order to improve their workforce and outcomes for children and families. Two of the change initiatives were recommended. The evaluation includes progress on (1) improving recruitment and retention of staff and (2) improving the agency culture and climate.
Fact Sheet: Unacknowledged Protectors: Consequences and Costs of Turnover in the Child Welfare Workforce April 2021
Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children (2021)
Examines stressors that child welfare caseworkers experience daily and explores costs to families, the system, and the State of Pennsylvania. The factsheet also details solutions that could help improve retention and limit turnover.
Finding “Health” and “Meaning” in Texas-Sized Turnover: Application of Seminal Management Principles for Administration and Research in U.S. Public Child Welfare Agencies (PDF - 519 KB)
Willis, Chavkin, & Leung (2016)
Advances in Social Work, 17(2)
Discusses turnover rates in the child welfare workforce over time, utilizing Texas as an example, and the minimal impact efforts to reduce turnover have made. The current turnover construct is critiqued and a new construct of thinking related to the heterogeneity and healthy facets of turnover is proposed with three key recommendations for administrators and researchers to integrate this thinking into their work.
How Did Texas Decrease Caseworker Turnover and Stabilize Its Workforce?
Casey Family Programs (2018)
Summarizes key strategies used by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services to reduce the turnover of their staff.
How Does New Jersey Maintain a Stable Child Welfare Workforce?
Casey Family Programs (2022)
Reviews a practice model that has been used in New Jersey’s Division of Child Protection and Permanency to lower turnover rates and improve retention of child welfare workers.
Report of the Child Welfare System Task Force to the 2019 Kansas Legislature (PDF - 2,385 KB)
Kansas Child Welfare System Task Force (2019)
Reports on the findings and recommendations of the Child Welfare System Task Force to improve the child welfare system in Kansas. A highest-priority recommendation within the report is for the State of Kansas to invest in the workforce to positively influence recruitment and retention rates.
A System in Crisis: Stabilizing Florida’s Child Welfare Workforce
Florida TaxWatch (2022)
Discusses high levels of child welfare caseworker turnover in Florida and findings from a study that showed high turnover is due to poor compensation and high caseloads.The report closes with a discussion on strategies for developing a model to improve recruitment and retention.
Unacknowledged Protectors: Consequences and Costs of Turnover in the Child Welfare Workforce(PDF - 171 KB)
Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children (2021)
Shares a factsheet on key factors that influence the turnover of child welfare caseworkers in Pennsylvania and offers strategies for improving retention of workers.
The Workforce Crisis Affecting Behavioral Health and Child Welfare Services: Analysis and Recommendations (PDF - 653 KB)
Explores staffing challenges and issues around retaining quality child welfare workers in Pennsylvania.