Social work education and Title IV-E program participation as predictors of entry-level knowledge among public child welfare workers

Abstract

Given the resources expended in promoting social work education and specialized training in child welfare as a means to increase the knowledge and competency of public child welfare (PCW) workers, research in this area is important to evaluate the outcomes of such efforts. The current study adds to the literature in this area by examining the performance of newly-hired PCW workers on objective tests of child welfare-related knowledge. Workers with Master of Social Work (MSW) degrees were compared to those with other degrees to examine whether there were differences in performance by social work education on an overall test of knowledge and two tests assessing for specific knowledge areas. The study also examined whether participation in Title IV-E stipend-based programs was a factor in test performance among only those workers who had MSW degrees. The findings supported the hypothesis that workers with MSW degrees would score higher on all measures when compared to those with other degrees. The results also supported the hypothesis that workers with MSW degrees who participated in Title IV-E programs would score higher than those with MSW degrees who did not participate in such programs. Implications for the PCW field and future research in this area are discussed. ► Using tests, the study examined newly-hired child welfare workers' knowledge. ► Workers with MSWs scored higher on all tests compared to those with other degrees. ► Title IV-E training program participation was related to higher scores among MSWs.