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Child Advocacy & Policy

Types of Degrees Child Advocacy & Policy Majors Are Earning

Those studying Child Advocacy & Policy have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	12
Bachelor’s Degree	117
Master’s Degree	138

What Child Advocacy & Policy Majors Need to Know

Programs in Child Advocacy & Policy build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Child Advocacy & Policy graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Child Advocacy & Policy emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.5 / 7.
• Psychology — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Therapy and Counseling — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills built by a Child Advocacy & Policy program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Active Listening — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Social Perceptiveness — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Service Orientation — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Child Advocacy & Policy careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.5 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Child Advocacy & Policy graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.7 / 7
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.5 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Communicating with People Outside the Organization	4.3 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.3 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.3 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.2 / 7
Assisting and Caring for Others	4.2 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Child Advocacy & Policy professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
EasyCBM	Computer based training software	—
Student information systems SIS software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Patient electronic medical record EMR software	Medical software	—
Corel QuattroPro	Spreadsheet software	—
Microsoft Publisher	Desktop publishing software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Child Advocacy & Policy graduates include:

• Case Manager
• Child Protection Specialist
• Public Housing Community Relations and Services Advisor
• Parent Educator
• Child Protective Services Social Worker (CPS Social Worker)
• Child and Family Specialist
• School Therapist
• Child Advocate
• Family Preservation Caseworker
• Certified Child, Youth, and Family Social Worker (C-CYFSW)
• Field Service Representative
• Child Welfare Worker
• Juvenile Counselor
• Children’s Counselor
• Casework Supervisor

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Child Advocacy & Policy graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	60.6%
Master’s degree	25.0%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	6.7%
Post-master’s certificate	3.6%
High school diploma or equivalent	3.2%
Some college courses	1.0%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Child Advocacy & Policy?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 88.4% of Child Advocacy & Policy degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	236	88.4%
Men	31	11.6%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Child Advocacy & Policy graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	121	45.3%
Asian	11	4.1%
Hispanic or Latino	39	14.6%
Black or African American	70	26.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native	5	1.9%
Two or More Races	16	6.0%
Race Unknown	3	1.1%
International Students	2	0.7%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Child Advocacy & Policy Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Child Advocacy & Policy graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$49,745
4 years	$51,599
5 years	$57,911

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $57,911 — roughly 16% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Child Advocacy & Policy Programs

Online study is tracked by IPEDS for Child Advocacy & Policy. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Bachelor’s	2	0
Master’s	1	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Child Advocacy & Policy Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Child Advocacy & Policy graduates earn a median of $51,599 four years after completion — roughly 36% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Social Work	44.07
Forensic Social Work	44.0703
Social Work, Other	44.0799
Social Work	44.0701
Community Organization and Advocacy	44.0201
Public Administration and Social Service Professions	44.0000

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.