Lp. Jones et A. Okamura, Reprofessionalizing child welfare services: An evaluation of a Title IVE training program, RES SOC W P, 10(5), 2000, pp. 607-621
Objective: Test the effectiveness of a Title IVE training program for prepa
ring practitioners for public child welfare employment.
Method: The sample consisted of all workers (N = 266) hired between June 19
94 and June 1997 at a public child welfare agency. Data were collected thro
ugh self-administered questionnaires, a follow-up phone interview, and a re
view of personnel records.
Results: Title IV-trained workers scored higher on a test of child welfare
knowledge, and they expressed more confidence in their ability to perform b
asic child welfare tasks than did other workers. Eighty-nine percent of IVE
workers were still employed at the study close. Overall, 76% of workers we
re still employed at that time. Contrary to expectations, IVE workers were
not more satisfied with their jobs than other workers.
Conclusion: The retention finding is encouraging because it may mean that t
he staffing crisis in child welfare may have a solution in programs like IV
E. However, IVE-trained workers may not stay unless the unsatisfactory work
ing conditions are corrected.