Tim Kaine: “investing in the development of a robust, well-trained, and stable child welfare workforce is central to improving…”

“investing in the development of a robust, well-trained, and stable child welfare workforce is central to improving outcomes for children and families across the United States. The existence of such a workforce is essential to a child welfare agency's ability to carry out the responsibilities with which they have been entrusted. Child welfare work has been shown to be physically and emotionally challenging, as demonstrated by recent studies into the impact of secondary traumatic stress (STS) on child welfare professionals. The multitude of challenges inherent in child welfare work, combined with relatively low compensation and work benefits, make these careers difficult to sustain, resulting in high rates of turnover. Studies conducted over the last 15 years estimate the national rate of turnover of child welfare workers to be 20-40 percent annually. In 2017, Virginia reported a turnover rate of 30%, while Washington State reported a turnover rate of 20% and Georgia reported a turnover rate of 32%. These high rates of turnover detract from the quality of services delivered to children and families and result in an estimated cost of $54,000 per worker leaving an agency. Greater action is needed to ensure that individuals pursuing child welfare careers receive appropriate training and support to improve the sustainability of their important, yet demanding work.…”