NASW Hopes Pew Commission Report Will Jump Start Action on New Nationwide Commitment to At-Risk Children and Families

WASHINGTON , D.C. , May 18, 2004 — The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) applauds the Pew Commission on Children in Foster Care for their important recommendations to improve the child welfare system. For far too long, this system has, itself, been a victim of neglect — not unlike the children it is charged to serve.

“Our hope is that these recommendations will be a catalyst for bringing together families, community leaders, judges, policymakers, and practitioners to focus their energies on addressing the need for change,” said NASW Executive Director Elizabeth J. Clark, PhD, ACSW, MPH.

NASW is pleased that the report recommends the continuation of the shared responsibility by governments at all levels for the well-being of children. The Association strongly supports recommendations for sorely needed additional resources, and the creation of federal funding that is not only “flexible,” but also “sufficient and reliable.”

Opening the Title IV-E entitlement to all children — including Native American children and children in the U.S. territories — is long overdue. Also overdue is an increase in resources for services designed to prevent abuse and neglect, reunify families, and support adoptions.

NASW also welcomes the attention the report gives to the child welfare workforce. For too many years, the need for an educated, competent, and committed workforce has been an afterthought. Educational requirements for staff are too low — as are salaries and respect — while caseloads, turnover, and scapegoating are too high.

For more details, see Child Welfare Workforce: Fast Facts at https://www.socialworkers.org/advocacy/updates/082003_a.asp

The results of workforce neglect are all too evident in the recent findings of the Child and Family Services Reviews (CFSRs). The reviews dramatically show that the failure of many states to reach the federal goals of child safety, permanency, and well-being clearly rests on the shoulders of overburdened and under-prepared child welfare staff.

Workforce improvements are critical to addressing the needs of children and families, and should begin immediately. There is already a broad consensus on workforce standards. Putting off critical improvements would only impede the kind of care that children and families deserve, and which the public demands.

NASW also is concerned about the impact that capping funding for the Title IV-E child welfare training program and pitting the program against child welfare services will have on states' ability to educate and train current and future workers. States should not be forced into choosing between providing the necessary services or having staff with the necessary skills to assess the need for the services.

Clearly the commission has similar concerns, since it included the possibility of a “snap-back” provision if Congress fails to fully fund their proposed “Safe Children, Strong Families Grant,” which would be the new home of the IV-E training program. The “snap-back” provision would return both IV-E training and administration to entitlement status. However given the preparation time needed for planning and development of effective training and education programs, any uncertainty of funding would be disastrous.

Another important tool for building a more competent and stable workforce is one that the commission recommends for recruiting and retaining dependency court attorneys — loan forgiveness. Numerous studies, including the two cited in the commission's report, have found a social work degree improves both worker competence and worker retention. However for students graduating with master's or bachelor's degrees in social work (MSWs or BSWs), high loan debt and low salaries often make employment in child welfare a difficult proposition.

Sen. DeWine and Rep. Jones have a bill that would provide loan forgiveness for social workers who commit to working in child welfare for five years. Similar bills have been introduced by Reps. Miller and Stark. We urge Congress to support their efforts, along with those to provide loan forgiveness for attorneys.

An adequately resourced, optimally functioning child welfare system will, no doubt, require more resources than those proposed by the commission, due to an attempt to make its recommendations politically viable. But the commission's recommendations make a significant contribution to creating a way, building the will, and ultimately, the wallet necessary for comprehensive reform. As part of its own child welfare initiative, NASW looks forward to actively participating in those efforts.

For more information on NASW's child welfare initiative, visit www.socialworkers.org/pressroom on the NASW Web site.

The National Association of Social Workers (NASW), in Washington , D.C. , is the largest membership organization of professional social workers, with 150,000 members. It promotes, develops, and protects the practice of social work and social workers. Through its advocacy, NASW also seeks to enhance the well-being of individuals, families, and communities.