Job satisfaction can mitigate some of the stress that comes with working in a high-pressure and sometimes overwhelming environment. This page provides resources on workforce stability and how it can help retain professionals and improve job satisfaction. Understanding the factors to improve agency policy and leadership may ultimately help retain professionals and help them feel satisfied professionally and personally.
Championing the Role of Child Welfare Professionals (PDF - 362 KB)
Capacity Building Center for States (2017)
Provides information how States and agencies can proactively champion the positive impact that child welfare professionals have on children and families by structuring systems to support job satisfaction and commitment and by working to engage the community in a deeper understanding of the child welfare system.
Design Teams as an Organizational Intervention to Improve Job Satisfaction and Worker Turnover in Public Child Welfare (PDF - 200 KB)
Claiborne, Auerback, Lawrence, McGowan, & Lawson (2014)
Journal of Family Strengths, 14(1)
Addresses organizational turnover in public child welfare organizations with a team-based model, which are groups of people with various skill sets and knowledge to address organizational concerns, such as job satisfaction and turnover.
Factors Influencing Job Satisfaction Among Child Welfare Staff (PDF - 1,096 KB)
Stacy (2015)
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies
Demonstrates the nature of the child welfare professional, supervision, and organizational factors that contribute to job satisfaction. Once an understanding of the factors related to job satisfaction is established, agencies can implement measures and procedures geared at increasing retention among child welfare workers.
Impact of Public Perceptions on Child Welfare Workers (PDF - 188 KB)
National Child Welfare Workforce Institute (2019)
Summarizes in a one-page document an article that describes the influence public perception can have on child welfare workers by highlighting what the resource is, its findings, and the implications for practice.
Improving the Child Welfare Workforce by Better Understanding Employee Retention, Organizational Culture and Climate (PDF - 290 KB)
Mathias, Johnson, & Hermon (2014)
California Social Work Education Center
Analyzes organizational factors that influence the quality of service and retention of staff in child welfare agencies, including worker morale, job satisfaction, and professional development.
Staff Retention and Job Satisfaction in Child Protection (PDF - 790 KB)
Kowaleski (2016)
St. Catherine University, University of St. Thomas, School of Social Work
Indicates how work factors, such as the nature of the work, client population, severity of cases, paperwork, and workload, significantly impacts the level of workers' job satisfaction and ultimately impacts retention.
Social Workers and Satisfaction With Child Welfare Work: Aspects of Work, Profession, and Personal Life That Contribute to Turnover
Shier, Graham, Fukuda, Brownlee, Walji, & Novik (2012)
Child Welfare, 91(5)
Discusses workplace factors, such as organizational culture, hierarchy, decisionmaking, and the nature of supervision, that impact employee turnover within social work. This study shows that three contributing factors—work, professional, and personal life—significantly predict overall social worker satisfaction and well-being.
Social Workers’ Perceptions of Job Satisfaction, Interdisciplinary Collaboration, and Organizational Leadership
Marmo & Berkman (2018)
Journal of Social Work in End-of-Life & Palliative Care, 14(1)
Examines how relationships with other members of interdisciplinary teams and perceptions of leadership may be associated with job satisfaction of social workers.