What You Need to Know About Child, Family, or School Social Worker

Child, Family, or School Social Worker Job Description Provide social services and assistance to improve the social and psychological functioning of children and their families and to maximize the family well-being and the academic functioning of children. May assist parents, arrange adoptions, and find foster homes for abandoned or abused children. In schools, they address such problems as teenage pregnancy, misbehavior, and truancy. May also advise teachers.

Life As a Child, Family, or School Social Worker

• Administer welfare programs.
• Determine clients’ eligibility for financial assistance.
• Maintain case history records and prepare reports.
• Refer clients to community resources for services, such as job placement, debt counseling, legal aid, housing, medical treatment, or financial assistance, and provide concrete information, such as where to go and how to apply.
• Serve on policy-making committees, assist in community development, and assist client groups by lobbying for solutions to problems.
• Recommend temporary foster care and advise foster or adoptive parents.

Qualities of a Child, Family, or School Social Worker

When polled, Child, Family, and School Social Workers say the following skills are most frequently used in their jobs:

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.

Types of Child, Family, or School Social Worker

• Adoption Counselor
• Adoption Worker
• Case Worker
• Casework Supervisor
• Family Protection Specialist

Child, Family, or School Social Worker Job Outlook

There were about 317,600 jobs for Child, Family, or School Social Worker in 2016 (in the United States). New jobs are being produced at a rate of 14.2% which is above the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 45,000 new jobs for Child, Family, or School Social Worker by 2026. The BLS estimates 38,300 yearly job openings in this field.

The states with the most job growth for Child, Family, or School Social Worker are Utah, Arizona, and Virginia. Watch out if you plan on working in Maine, Maryland, or Alaska. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

Salary for a Child, Family, or School Social Worker

The typical yearly salary for Child, Family, and School Social Workers is somewhere between $29,550 and $76,750.

Child, Family, and School Social Workers who work in Connecticut, District of Columbia, or New Jersey, make the highest salaries.

How much do Child, Family, and School Social Workers make in different U.S. states?

State	Annual Mean Salary
Alabama	$40,710
Alaska	$48,970
Arizona	$39,020
Arkansas	$38,270
California	$59,500
Colorado	$51,060
Connecticut	$69,520
Delaware	$40,380
District of Columbia	$70,270
Florida	$42,640
Georgia	$41,040
Hawaii	$56,030
Idaho	$52,110
Illinois	$56,100
Indiana	$40,090
Iowa	$44,720
Kansas	$42,510
Kentucky	$40,950
Louisiana	$50,690
Maine	$52,130
Maryland	$59,280
Massachusetts	$48,670
Michigan	$50,620
Minnesota	$55,560
Mississippi	$35,100
Missouri	$37,680
Montana	$38,210
Nebraska	$41,560
Nevada	$52,410
New Hampshire	$52,920
New Jersey	$67,700
New Mexico	$41,460
New York	$58,050
North Carolina	$46,990
North Dakota	$54,870
Ohio	$45,030
Oklahoma	$36,470
Oregon	$51,510
Pennsylvania	$43,680
Rhode Island	$61,440
South Carolina	$38,930
South Dakota	$40,030
Tennessee	$41,830
Texas	$48,920
Utah	$44,160
Vermont	$50,270
Virginia	$51,880
Washington	$51,990
West Virginia	$36,430
Wisconsin	$48,440
Wyoming	$50,200

What Tools do Child, Family, and School Social Workers Use?

Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Child, Family, and School Social Workers:

• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Word
• Microsoft Office
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Microsoft Outlook
• Web browser software
• Microsoft Access
• Patient electronic medical record EMR software
• Student information systems SIS

Becoming a Child, Family, or School Social Worker

What education or degrees do I need to become a Child, Family, or School Social Worker?

How Long Does it Take to Become a Child, Family, or School Social Worker?

Where Child, Family, and School Social Workers Are Employed

Child, Family, and School Social Workers work in the following industries:

You May Also Be Interested In…

Those interested in being a Child, Family, or School Social Worker may also be interested in:

• Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education
• Recreation Workers

Are you already one of the many Child, Family, or School Social Worker in the United States? If you’re thinking about changing careers, these fields are worth exploring:

• Marriage and Family Therapists
• Social and Community Service Managers

References:

• Bureau of Labor Statistics
• College Factual
• O*NET Online

Image Credit: Army Medicine via https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Reusing_content_outside_Wikimedia

More about our data sources and methodologies.