Partnering with Universities to Recruit Child Welfare Employees

Many jurisdictions are finding it challenging to recruit child welfare workers. An innovative program in northwest Ohio provided an opportunity for local agencies counties, with state support, to partner with universities to encourage college students to engage with child protective services work. The Child Protective Services Fellowship Program pays students in their junior or senior year of college while they gain experience, training, and mentorship in the child welfare workforce. Both county agencies and local schools recruit students to participate and share a goal of meaningful employment upon graduation. Currently, there are 21 active participants and program leaders are working to expand into additional counties. The Quality Improvement Center for Workforce Development did a pilot study of this program and learned valuable lessons about implementing a school-to-work pipeline that reaches student outside the field of social work. Key lessons learned include the importance of messaging and timing when it comes to recruiting and hiring college students.