Child Welfare Education Collaboration
Supporting Social Work Students for Child Welfare Practice

If you are a CPS Employee, visit our Child Welfare Education Collaboration Supporting CPS Employees Seeking Social Work Degrees page for more information.

Have you considered a career helping the most vulnerable of society's children and families? Would you enjoy working in a complex environment with daily opportunities to improve the lives of children on your caseload? Is meaningful and vital work on behalf of families one of the factors that drew you to social work?

If so, you might want to consider becoming a Child Welfare Scholar. Linking social work education with public child welfare, the Child Welfare Education Collaboration (CWEC) is a partnership of the School of Social Work (SSW), the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services Child Protective Services (CPS), and select students enrolled in the BSW and MSSW programs. This partnership results in:

• Students who are well prepared for child welfare practice, with anticipated paid employment in CPS and financial support for their education
• The SSW fulfilling its long-standing mission related to public child welfare
• CPS staffed to offer competent services to the most vulnerable populations

Student Benefits and Responsibilities

Benefits for Students:

• Full in-state equivalent tuition, books and fees for each semester the student is registered for field
• Priority registration for select practice courses and electives tailored to developing skills for child welfare practice
• Special Scholars' Seminars focused on varied aspects of child welfare practice
• Additional support from project personnel in navigating both the academic program and agency requirements
• Field placements chosen to develop skills relevant for work in family based safety services, foster care and adoption, and transferable to a broad range of social work practice arenas
• Priority in assignment to specialized field unit at Juvenile Probation for first field experience for MSSW students

Responsibilities of Students:

• Commitment to work at CPS for 8 months for each semester of stipend support received
• Completion of the CPS employment application process and receive clearance in criminal background checks and TB tests before admission to the CWEC program
• Successful completion of all recommended coursework, field work and supplemental assignments such as attending Scholars' Seminars
• Final block field placement in the Basic Skills Development (BSD) program at CPS. BSD is classroom training designed as an intensive introduction to the work of CPS coupled with on-the-job field experiences to develop skills and knowledge

School and CPS Responsibilities

School of Social Work Responsibilities to Students:

• Provide core social work classes and field experiences to enhance knowledge and skills necessary for practice in child welfare
• Offer timely processing of stipends and necessary travel reimbursements to cover out of pocket costs to students in semesters when a stipend is received
• Ensure sufficient project staffing to support needs of students
• Schedule relevant electives each semester to support the learning goals of the project

Child Protective Services Responsibilities to Students:

• Offer of a full time position in family based safety services, foster care or adoption services if available
• Give priority to areas of the state where the student would prefer to work, with the understanding that some requests may not be able to be honored
• Work with the student and the SSW to facilitate the employment process
• Provide job preparation and field experiences in the final year that are congruent with the goals of social work education and employment in CPS direct practice

Knowledge and Skills Developed through Participation in CWEC

Along with the more general skills in social work practice with children and families, CWEC Scholars, through their education and CPS employment, develop specific abilities to:

• Deal with challenging family situations and dynamics
• Intervene in troubling situations to improve the lives of children and families affected by abuse, neglect or exploitation
• Understand the underlying dynamics of abuse and neglect, attachment, grief and loss as they apply to investigations, intensive family services, foster care and adoption
• Interface with community services such as law enforcement, the judicial system, medical personnel, mental health resources, and schools
• Manage a complex caseload, often in crisis situations
• Work in a large public bureaucracy

What Students Say About Being a Child Welfare Scholar

• "This has been a great experience because of my clients and my co-workers"
• "I know that by starting my social work career at Child Protective Services I will be a more effective child welfare practitioner"
• "The program is a great opportunity to serve a vulnerable population and help to finance my education"
• "It's rewarding to know all that can be done in CPS - it's so much more than just removing kids"

For more information, please contact:

Jennifer Graham, CWEC Student Coordinator
jennifergraham@mail.utexas.edu
512-232-3507