Child, Family, and School Social Workers

Career Overview

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.

Also Known As

• Case Manager
• Family Protection Specialist
• Family Service Worker
• School Social Worker

Alternate Job Titles

• Adolescent Counselor
• Adoption Agent
• Adoption Coordinator
• Adoption Counselor
• Adoption Social Worker
• Adoption Specialist
• Adoption Worker
• Case Manager
• Case Worker
• Casework Supervisor
• Caseworker
• Certified Child, Youth, and Family Social Worker (C-CYFSW)
• Certified Children, Youth, and Family Social Worker (C-CYFSW)
• Child Abuse Worker
• Child Advocate

What You'll Do

In this role, your typical responsibilities include:

• Maintain case history records and prepare reports.
• Interview clients individually, in families, or in groups, assessing their situations, capabilities, and problems to determine what services are required to meet their needs.
• Serve as liaisons between students, homes, schools, family services, child guidance clinics, courts, protective services, doctors, and other contacts to help children who face problems, such as disabilities, abuse, or poverty.
• Develop and review service plans in consultation with clients and perform follow-ups assessing the quantity and quality of services provided.
• Address legal issues, such as child abuse and discipline, assisting with hearings and providing testimony to inform custody arrangements.
• Counsel parents with child rearing problems, interviewing the child and family to determine whether further action is required.
• Consult with parents, teachers, and other school personnel to determine causes of problems, such as truancy and misbehavior, and to implement solutions.

Knowledge You'll Use

You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:

• Customer and Personal Service
• Psychology
• Therapy and Counseling
• English Language
• Administrative

Essential Skills

Success in this career requires strong skills in:

1. Active Listening
2. Speaking
3. Critical Thinking
4. Social Perceptiveness
5. Reading Comprehension
6. Service Orientation
7. Judgment and Decision Making
8. Monitoring
9. Complex Problem Solving
10. Writing

Key Abilities

This career requires key abilities in:

• Oral Expression
• Oral Comprehension
• Problem Sensitivity
• Written Expression
• Written Comprehension
• Speech Clarity
• Speech Recognition
• Inductive Reasoning
• Deductive Reasoning
• Information Ordering

Work Style

People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:

• Empathy
• Cooperation
• Sincerity
• Dependability
• Integrity

What Matters in This Career

This career tends to satisfy these work values:

• Relationships
• Achievement
• Independence
• Working Conditions
• Support

Education & Preparation

Typical Education: Bachelor's Degree

Related Work Experience Needed: Over 2 years, up to and including 4 years

On-the-Job Training: Anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month

Education Details: Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

Experience Required: A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.

Technology You'll Use

Popular Technologies & Software

• Microsoft Access
• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Office software
• Microsoft Outlook
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Microsoft Word

Tools & Equipment

• Computer laser printers
• Desktop computers
• Laptop computers
• Laser facsimile machines
• Multi-line telephone systems
• Personal computers
• Photocopying equipment

Work Environment

• E-Mail
• Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
• Contact With Others
• Telephone Conversations
• Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team

Salary & Job Market

Salary Percentile	Annual Wage
Entry-Level (10th percentile)	$40,580
Median	$58,570
Top Earners (90th percentile)	$94,030

Workers Employed Nationally: 382,960

Related Careers

If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:

---

---

Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.