child welfare workforce retention research in new york state

CSWE Child Welfare Symposium-20031

Child Welfare Workforce Child Welfare Workforce Retention Research in New Retention Research in New York StateYork State

New York State Social Work Education Consortium


Study Team MembersStudy Team Members

Social Work Education ConsortiumNYS Office of Children and Family Services

NYS Deans AssociationCommissioners

UniversityFaculty and Students


Project HistoryProject HistoryOCFS Turnover SurveyCommissioners in counties with turnover

over 25% meetCommissioners request a studyConsortium agrees to lead the study


Study Objectives Study Objectives Use a participatory approach to create

knowledge to strengthen the child welfare workforce

Help managers develop effective approaches to recruit and retain workers


County CharacteristicsCounty CharacteristicsPopulation: 31,582 - 1,419,369FY 2000 Child Abuse Reports: 400 -

8,569Indicated Reports: 78 - 2,820Workforce size: 18 - 279Beginning Salary: $23,446 - $35,805Average salary: $25,595 - $43,639


Participatory (Action) ResearchParticipatory (Action) Research

11 schools of participatory researchEach is grounded in

– Different traditions– Different philosophical and psychological

assumptions– Different political goals

(Reason and Bradbury, 2001)In all the research process is participative,

grounded in experience, action oriented


Study ApproachStudy ApproachValue the expertise and contributions of

faculty, county commissioners, state policy and program staff, and students

Respect, trust, and communicate


Process Process Research team meetingsOngoing and regular feed back from all

partners Consensus building


ProcessProcessTravel to counties to present the survey in

personTravel to counties to present and discuss

initial findingsMeetings with commissioners to plan next

steps of the study


Benefits of the processBenefits of the processCommissioners feel ownership of the

study findingsCommissioners are committed to future

steps


Challenges of the processChallenges of the processTimeTruly incorporating participants views

resulted in scientific compromisesUncertain implications of team-member

turnover


DemographicsDemographics696 child welfare workers in all participating counties

409 child welfare workers participated in the study

59% of workers participated in the study


Race of ParticipantsRace of Participants African American 3.0%

Hispanic 2.3 %

American Indian 0.3 %

2 or More Races 1.5 %

Pacific Islander 0.3%Asian 0.5%Caucasian 91.3%

Other 1.0%

14CSWE Child Welfare Symposium-2003

Gender of ParticipantsGender of Participants

Female81.9%

Male18.1%

Female Male


Age of ParticipantsAge of Participants

Average age of Participants is 39.8 years

Average age of Supervisors is 44.3 years

Average age of Workers is 38.2 years


Age Brackets of Supervisors and WorkersAge Brackets of Supervisors and Workers

7.4

29.725.926.5

32.1

22.9

30.9

19

3.7 205

101520253035

Perc

ent

22-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60-69

Supervisors (n= 81) Workers (n = 306)


Years in Child WelfareYears in Child Welfare

Mean number of years is 8.5Half of the participants have worked less than 5.8 years; half have worked more than 5.8 years. The median number of years worked by participants is 5.8Time in Child Welfare ranged from 1 month to 40 years


Average Years in Child WelfareAverage Years in Child Welfare

Average Years

15.5

6.58.4

4.2 3.2 3.4

15.3

5.47.4

02468

1012141618

Supervisors Workers All

Num

ber o

f Yea

rs

Child Welfare Current job Current agency


Median Years in Child WelfareMedian Years in Child Welfare

Median Years

13.5

4.5 5.82.2 2.0 2.0

14.3

3.4 4.702468

10121416

Supervisors Workers All

Num

ber o

f Yea

rs

Child Welfare Current job Current agency


Annual Salary RangeAnnual Salary Range * * 2 participants reported a salary of less than $20,000.2 participants reported a salary of less than $20,000.

Annual Participant Salary*

20.9

18.4

6.6

00

1.3

16.4

54.1

28.3

11.5

25.2

32.3

18.112.5

53.3

0102030405060

20,001 - 25,000

25,001 - 30,000

30,001 - 35,000

35,001 - 45,000

45,001 +

Salary

Perc

ent

All Non, Small or Med. SMSA Large SMSA


Satisfaction with Salary Satisfaction with Salary and Benefitsand Benefits

Participant Satisfaction of Salary and Benefits

22.2

45.1

20

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Satisfied with Salary Satisfied with Benefits Satisfied with PromotionOpportunities

Perc

ent


Annual Household IncomeAnnual Household Income 15.4% of participants in all counties combined hold more than one job 15.4% of participants in all counties combined hold more than one job

Household Income - All Counties

27.227.224.2

17

4.4

05

1015202530

15,001 - 25,000

25,001 - 35,000

35,001 - 50,000

50,001 - 70,000

70,001 +

Income

Perc

ent


Child Caseload SizeChild Caseload Size

Workers in all counties combined reported caseloads ranging from 0 – 400.

Supervisors in all counties combined reported caseloads ranging from 0-1700.

The average number of children in caseloads of supervisors is 165.

The median number of children in caseloads of supervisors is 50.


Child Caseload Size of WorkersChild Caseload Size of Workers

6 4.9

0.41.81.8

8.1

15.5

2.10.4

4.2 3.23.5

2421.6

1.4 1.1

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

0

1-10

11-2

0

21-3

0

31-4

0

41-5

0

51-6

0

61-7

0

71-8

0

81-9

0

91-1

00

101-

125

126-

150

151-

200

201-

300

301-

1700

perc

ent o

f Res

pond

ents

All Counties


Caseload SizeCaseload Size

42.630

0

10

20

30

40

50

# of

Chi

ldre

n

Average number Median number

Number of Children in the Caseloads of Workers

All


Foster Families and Biological Parents Foster Families and Biological Parents in Caseloads of all participantsin Caseloads of all participants

7

37.9

0

20

40

Aver

age

num

ber

# of Foster families # of Biological Parents

All Counties


Supervisor Task BreakdownSupervisor Task Breakdown

Supervision45.3%

paperwork29.9%

Management8.0%

Community Action3.0%

Direct Service8.4%

other2.3%

court3.0%


Worker Task BreakdownWorker Task Breakdown

paperwork44.1% Supervision

7.4%

Management4.1%


Direct Service30.3%

other3.4%court

7.4%


Task Breakdown for Workers and Task Breakdown for Workers and Supervisors in All CountiesSupervisors in All Counties

Supervision15.6%

Direct Service25.8%

Management5.0%

paperwork40.6%


other3.3%court

6.6%


Work ExperienceWork Experience

59

5

42

14

51

6

23

0102030405060

Perc

ent

CPSCourt

Prevention

Adoption

Foster Care

Family Preservation

Other*

Percentage of Respondents with any Experience in Child Welfare Units

*Other category includes: adult services, youth/PINS/JD, day care, income employment, child support, emergency services, foster home finding, homeless services, intake, and out of state.


Casework as a ChoiceCasework as a Choice

1925

72 72

0

20

40

60

80

Perc

ent o

f Par

ticip

ants

1st careerchoice

1st full-timejob

step up from lastjob

would makesame choice

All


Organizational and Organizational and Supervisory Factors Supervisory Factors

Associated with RetentionAssociated with Retention


Clarity & Coherence of Practice

Life Work Fit

Goal Attainment, Job Satisfaction & Efficacy

Job Supports & Relationships

Technology, Training & Record Keeping

Salaries & Benefits

Organizational FactorsOrganizational Factors


Supervisor Support

Supervisor Competence

Supervisory FactorsSupervisory Factors


Logistic Regression ModelsLogistic Regression Models

Workers Only –with statistical significance

Higher scores on all Organizational dimensions except salary & benefits reduces the likelihood of considering new job

Higher Score on supervisor support reduces the likelihood of considering a new job.


Analysis continuedAnalysis continuedA higher score on satisfaction with organizational dimensions consistently reduces the likelihood of considering a new job, even when controlling for salary, caseload size and paperwork

A higher score on supervisor support reduces by 42% the likelihood of considering a new job even when controlling for salary, caseload size and paperwork

A higher score on supervisor knowledge is not related to considering a new job (at a level of statistical significance) when accounting for salary, caseload size and paperwork


RecommendationsRecommendationsOrganizational characteristics matter to worker’s retention (even when accounting for salary, caseload size and paperwork).

Supervisor Support is important. Strategies to address this are unique to each county.

Interviews to get specific ideas from workers and supervisors regarding specific improvements in their county to improve retention.

Survey low turnover counties to see what the differences and similarities are.

child welfare workforce retention research in new york state

Documents

child abuse reports

average years

median years

years half

participants views

yearsaverage age of

median number of years

age brackets of supervisors