2024 Social Worker Job Aid | Child & Family Social Work
Top 2024 Guide: How to be the Best Child, Family or School Social Worker
One of the most popular areas of social work practice involves working with children and families.
Families in need of services such as help with a disabled child or a youth with behavioral issues in school are often supported by social workers. Child and family social work involves helping children and their families to overcome problems and achieve the best outcomes possible.
Another reason that being a child family social worker is an attractive option is that there are many different types of social work you can go into. A social worker working with families can work as a school social worker, a foster care social worker, a youth substance abuse social worker, a pediatric social worker, and more.
In this guide, we’ll provide an overview of the duties and career opportunities for a children and family worker, including the different types of social workers that work with kids and their families.
Child, Family and School Social Workers
If you have been wondering how do social workers help families or how to increase your expertise to be the best child and family social worker you’re at the right place. This Social Work Portal article will guide you through everything you should know before you hit the ground running
There are multiple paths that someone interested in social service can pursue, and at its core, family and child welfare is about improving the social and psychological well-being of children, adolescents, and their parents. This is what makes working with children and families one of the most popular social work career paths.
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Table of Contents: Child and Family social worker Guide
Keep on scrolling down this page to read each section or click any link below to go directly to that section.
- What Is the Purpose of Child and Family Social Work?
- How Do Social Workers Help Families?
- What Skills Do You Need to Be a Children and Family Worker?
- Where Can a Social Worker Work Doing Child and Family Social Services?
- What Are the Basic Requirements for Child and Family Social Worker Jobs?
- Child and Family Social Worker Salary & Job Outlook
- Conclusion | Child and Family Social Work Guide
- FAQ | Child, Family, School Social Worker
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What Is the Purpose of Child and Family Social Work?
The purpose of child and family social work is to assist children and their families to achieve a better quality of life and enhance their psychological and physical well-being.
Families in need of services can be assisted by social workers in several different ways. A mother and child may be fleeing an abusive situation and need a safe place to stay. A child may need to be temporarily placed in foster care until a social worker home visit can verify their home is a safe environment to return to.
Whatever the specific needs of the family, the main goal of a social worker working with families is to provide them with the support and resources possible to improve their situation.
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How Do Social Workers Help Families?
Because there are many different social work career paths, family and child welfare social workers can help families in multiple ways. From physical needs, like food and safe shelter, to psychological needs, like behavioral therapy or substance abuse treatment, different kinds of social workers can address many issues that can cause strife and upheaval in a family.
Here are a few of the ways that a child, family and school social worker can help children and families:
- Create a personalized learning plan for a disabled child
- Remove children from an unsafe home
- Provide parenting training for new parents
- Place children in adopted homes
- Provide therapy and mental health support to families
- Refer families to resources such as food banks, shelters, etc.
- Provide guidance when families are faced with medical hardships
- Do assessments for child anxiety or depression
- Create and carry out treatment plans for children with mental health disorders
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What Skills Do You Need to Be a Children and Family Worker?
In addition to a child and family social worker degree, there are certain skills that those working in child and family social work career paths should have. These skills are many of the same that any type of social worker will need in their position of providing social services.
Skills Needed by Child, Family and School Social Workers:
- Empathy
- Ability to set boundaries
- Active listening
- Analytical and decision-making abilities
- Excellent communications
- Detail oriented
- Good with people
- Organizational skills
- Negotiation skills
- Patience and self-control
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Where Can a Social Worker Work Doing Child and Family Social Services?
Families in need of services provided by a social worker are found in all types of settings. This includes hospitals, schools, correctional facilities, psychotherapy offices, rehabilitation centers, shelters, and many more.
Here are some of the places a child, family and school social worker can work:
- Hospital or medical office
- Foster care program
- Government child & family services agencies
- Elementary or secondary schools
- Child behavioral research facilities
- Adoption or child welfare agency
- Non-profit organizations
- Halfway houses and group homes
- Substance abuse treatment centers
- Therapy practices
- Private counseling offices
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What Are the Basic Requirements for Child and Family Social Worker Jobs?
What type of child and family social worker degree will you need to become a social worker working with families?
Many of these positions only require a bachelor’s degree in social work or a related human services field. You’ll also find in child and family social worker jobs listings that related work experience of two years or more, depending on the position, is usually required.
For positions with more responsibility, which usually come with higher pay, you’ll need a master’s degree in social work or a related human services field.
Going a step further, if you have a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree, you can pursue a certification as a licensed clinical social worker. This provides the qualification needed for clinical work.
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Child and Family Social Worker Salary & Job Outlook
For those interested in going into child & family services and other child, family social worker positions, the outlook is good. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates that between 2016 and 2026, the number of jobs for child, family, and school social workers will grow by 16%. This is more than double the overall rate of 7% for all occupations.
What kind of salary can you expect when becoming a social worker working with families and children?
The BLS notes the following salary details for this area of social work practice:
- Average hourly wage: $26.39
- Average annual salary: $54,880
- Average annual salary range: $35,820 to $78,710
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Conclusion | Child and Family Social Work Guide
Working with children and families is a great area of social work to explore if you enjoy supporting families and helping protect children from unsafe circumstances.
Child, family and school social workers are needed in many different settings, from medical offices to child welfare agencies. This variety provides those considering a career in child and family social work with many options for how their day-to-day life as a social worker may look.
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FAQ | Child, Family, School Social Worker
What is the purpose of child and family social work?
The purpose of child and family social work is to assist children and their families to achieve a better quality of life and enhance their psychological and physical well-being.
Why would I want to be a child and family social worker?
Working with children and families is a great area of social work to explore if you enjoy supporting families, fostering emotional well-being in kids, and helping protect children from unsafe circumstances.
Additionally, the job growth rate for family and child welfare social workers is expected to be 16% between 2016 and 2026, which is more than twice the average rate for all occupations.
What skills do you need to become a children and family worker?
Skills Needed by Child, Family and School Social Workers:
•Empathy
•Ability to set boundaries
•Active listening
•Analytical and decision-making abilities
•Excellent communications
•Detail oriented
•Good with people
•Organizational skills
•Negotiation skills
•Patience and self-control
How do I become a child and family social worker?
What type of child and family social worker degree will you need to become a social worker working with families?
Many of these positions only require a bachelor’s degree in social work or a related human services field. You’ll also find in child and family social worker jobs listings that related work experience of two years or more, depending on the position, is usually required.
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