What is a 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.

List of Child, Family, or School Social Worker Job Duties

• Counsel students whose behavior, school progress, or mental or physical impairment indicate a need for assistance, diagnosing students’ problems and arranging for needed services.
• Recommend temporary foster care and advise foster or adoptive parents.
• Collect supplementary information needed to assist client, such as employment records, medical records, or school reports.
• Serve on policy-making committees, assist in community development, and assist client groups by lobbying for solutions to problems.
• Determine clients’ eligibility for financial assistance.
• Provide, find, or arrange for support services, such as child care, homemaker service, prenatal care, substance abuse treatment, job training, counseling, or parenting classes to prevent more serious problems from developing.

Child, Family, or School Social Worker Required Skills

Child, Family, and School Social Workers state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.

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.

Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

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

Types of Child, Family, or School Social Worker Jobs

• Adolescent Counselor
• Child Care Counselor
• Parent Educator
• Adoption Worker
• Youth Specialist

Is There Job Demand for Child, Family, and School Social Workers?

In the United States, there were 317,600 jobs for Child, Family, or School Social Worker in 2016. 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. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 38,300 job openings in this field each year.

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.

Child, Family, or School Social Worker Average Salary

Child, Family, and School Social Workers make between $29,550 and $76,750 a year.

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 each U.S. state?

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 & Technology 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 is needed to be a Child, Family, or School Social Worker?

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

Who Employs Child, Family, and School Social Workers?

The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.

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

Those who work as a Child, Family, or School Social Worker sometimes switch careers to one of these choices:

• 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.