June 10, 2003

The Honorable Pete Stark
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515-0513

Dear Congressman Stark:

On behalf of the 153,000 members of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), I am pleased to endorse the Child Protection Services Workforce Improvement Act.  Your continued leadership on behalf of this country's most vulnerable children — children who have been abused or neglected, or who are at-risk of abuse or neglect — is greatly appreciated.  

The goal of this particular bill, improving the child welfare workforce, is long overdue.  As the study you requested from the General Accounting Office, HHS Could Play a Greater Role in Helping Child Welfare Agencies Recruit and Retain Staff (GAO-03-357), clearly reveals, in order to deliver high quality services to children and their families, child welfare staff need training and experience, reasonable caseloads, safe working conditions, and access to highly qualified supervision.  Agencies also need the ability to fairly compensate qualified workers for their education and expertise.    

Another important provision in the bill, the provision of college loan forgiveness for graduates with social work and related degrees, will help to attract and retain qualified staff.  A survey conducted by NASW in 1994 on students' career choices found that students who were not planning to enter child welfare careers would be more likely to choose these professions if loan forgiveness and better salaries were available.   

The Child Protection Services Workforce Improvement Act is a significant step toward building a more effective child welfare systemžone that can deliver on the promise of improving child safety, permanence, and well being.  NASW, and social workers across the country, look forward to working with you to enact this important bill. 

Sincerely,

Elizabeth J. Clark, PhD, ACSW, MPH
Executive Director