A Child Protection Social Worker is responsible for a number of different types of services designed to help families and children through various hardships and difficulties. Most often employed by state governments, a social worker specializing in children’s protection must be prepared to face a number of circumstances and situations.
Child social workers are the front line of defense, helping the children of families who are struggling with a variety of social issues, such as poverty, drug abuse, mental illness, unemployment, and homelessness. Their prime directive is to insure the health and well-being of those children, protecting them when necessary, and providing services that help their families.
Working with children in these situations requires compassion, patience, commitment, and resilience. Typically, children are fearful and angry, and it’s the child social worker’s job to gain their trust, help them find the answers they need, provide methods for coping, and help resolve the foundational problems.
Skills and Education Requirements:
Social workers in child welfare and protection positions must be able to manage, supervise, organize, and compile information as well as work well within teams and one-on-one with individuals. To prepare for the types of situations that a social worker will face in this area, the minimum education requirement is typically a bachelor’s degree in social work, sociology, criminal justice, or psychology.
As part of this, child social workers:
The job of the child social worker is often critical to the well-being of their young clients, their primary goal is to assess the children’s living situations.
- Must clarify their roles in clients’ lives, developing positive, helpful relationships, and insuring mutual respect;
- Provide real information and advice to clients, parents, and responsible authorities, such as school psychologists, administrators, or legal authorities;
- Complete assessments evaluating families, the strengths of all members and their abilities to participate in a plan to resolve their problems;
- Create care plans that outline strategic actions, set goals, and identify resources to help families and individuals work toward resolutions;
- Partner with groups that offer help to clients;
- Monitor individuals, families, and resources to insure that progress is being made;
- Plan interventions when necessary;
- Document all case activities, and report on the client’s progress; and
- Advocate for systems adjustments, resource considerations, and policy reforms that will benefit their clients.
Working in positions in order to protect children offers case workers many personal rewards, but the positions can also be demanding, emotionally charged, and stressful. With the combination of the right skills, education, and experience, a Child Protection Social Worker can improve the lives of children throughout a community.
