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Child, Family, or School Social Worker

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What is a Child, Family, or School Social Worker?

Career 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.

What Do Child, Family, and School Social Workers Do On a Daily Basis?

  • Address legal issues, such as child abuse and discipline, assisting with hearings and providing testimony to inform custody arrangements.
  • Consult with parents, teachers, and other school personnel to determine causes of problems, such as truancy and misbehavior, and to implement solutions.
  • Place children in foster or adoptive homes, institutions, or medical treatment centers.
  • Maintain case history records and prepare reports.
  • Recommend temporary foster care and advise foster or adoptive parents.
  • 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.

Things a Child, Family, or School Social Worker Should Know How to Do

These are the skills Child, Family, and School Social Workers say are the most useful in their careers:

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.

  • Community Organization Worker
  • Adoption Agent
  • Adolescent Counselor
  • Foster Care Worker
  • Juvenile Specialist

Job Outlook for Child, Family, and School Social Workers

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. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 38,300 job openings in this field each year.

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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.

Average Child, Family, and School Social Workers Salary

The average yearly salary of a Child, Family, or School Social Worker ranges between $29,550 and $76,750.

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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

Tools & Technologies Used by Child, Family, and School Social Workers

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

How do I Become a Child, Family, or School Social Worker?

What kind of Child, Family, or School Social Worker requirements are there?

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How many years of work experience do I need?

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Where do Child, Family, and School Social Workers Work?

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

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

Career changers with experience as a Child, Family, or School Social Worker sometimes find work in one of the following fields:

References:

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

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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