What else is there to say? Reflections of newly-hired child welfare workers by retention status

Abstract

BackgroundTurnover among frontline child welfare workers is estimated to be as high as 40 % annually, attributed to factors such as stress, emotional exhaustion, safety concerns, and feelings of depersonalization. ObjectiveThis study evaluates workers’ comments at the end of a survey with the intention of elevating workers’ voices about their frontline experiences. Participants and settingData from wave 3 of the Florida Study of Professionals for Safe Families (FSPSF), a longitudinal study of the child welfare workforce, was used. The final analytic sample size was 192 (stayers n = 113, leavers n = 79). MethodsResearchers applied thematic analysis to a short response question that asked workers for final thoughts at the end of the survey. Given the larger study’s focus on turnover and retention, the researchers assessed for saturation differences between workers who stayed in their baseline agency and role and those who left by wave 3, approximately 1-year post-baseline. ResultsFour primary themes emerged from the data: 1) rewarding, but difficult; 2) unsupported; 3) overworked; and 4) undervalued. Whereas some participants reflected on positive frontline experiences, many identified aspects of the job that created significant professional or personal challenges. Overall, among these early-career workers, there was little difference in the saturation of themes between those who left and those who remained; however, some nuanced differences were noted. ConclusionsOrganizational factors emerged as primary concerns and should be priorities for administrators addressing workforce turnover and retention. Future research should explore longitudinal variation in the pressing concerns of frontline child welfare workers to develop time-sensitive strategies for improving retention.