Child Welfare Specialist

The fast-paced position of a Child Welfare Specialist offers you the opportunity to positively affect children’s lives. A Child Welfare Specialist is the voice and the guardian of the child. This means that, as a Child Welfare Specialist, you place him in a suitable environment, supervise his care through home visits, and ensure that he receives medical care and schooling. It also means you make the tough decisions for the child such as whether to remove him from his home.

Whether a baby is born to a drug-using mother or a child is found wandering the neighborhood, you receive the call when a child is in danger. You arrange to pick the child up and place him in a shelter or foster home where he can receive warmth, food, and comfort. Sometimes, the child’s situation is temporary and he is allowed to return home. Other times, arrangements are made for his long-term care. This means interviewing potential foster and adoptive families, scheduling visitations, and representing the child in all court proceedings.

Once the child is housed in a stable environment, you ensure his continued safety and welfare by connecting his family to the resources available to them. This means you evaluate the need for food, shelter, or therapy assistance, set up appointments and confirm that the family follows through. In this way, you aid the family in providing well-rounded support for the child.

Other aspects of this job include updating client files, preparing reports for the courts, investigating potential neglect cases, and managing volunteers.