Child Welfare (Title IV-E) Program

The Department of Social Work and Social Ecology is pleased to be one of the 18 graduate school programs in California that actively participates in the Title IV-E Child Welfare Training Project. The project's goal is to enhance the professionalism of social workers pursuing a career in the area of child welfare services. It is funded through a grant from the Title IV-E Child Welfare Training Program of the Social Security Act.

Stipends are available to full-time MSW students in the amount of $18,500 per year. Part-time MSW students (three- or four-year option) as of the 2010-2011 school year receive tuition assistance in the amount of $8,250.00 per academic year. Part-time students are responsible for payment to the University any remaining balance of their tuition. Only current employees working for the Department of Social Services are eligible to receive the part-time award.

Application Process
Students need to complete a Title IV-E application. Upon receipt of the application, an oral interview is subsequently scheduled, which is approximately a half hour in duration. The interviews are held in late spring and early summer. The oral interview is conducted with two faculty members and two community partners from child welfare services. Awards are competitive and based on the quality of both the written application as well as an oral interview.

Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for the IV-E award, students must be enrolled in the MSW program. Further, they must be either a U.S. citizen or have a work visa allowing them to meet the work commitment. Students also must have a valid driver's license, proof of insurance, and a willingness to conduct home visits with clients. Further, students need to successfully complete a background check through the University.

Academic and Field Program
Part-time students have the option of declaring either a clinical or policy concentration. However, full-time students will only be allowed to declare a clinical concentration.

While in the MSW Program, all IV-E students are required to take selective classes specific to the area of child services. They will also be enrolled in their final year in a seminar class specific to child welfare services.

Field placement during the first year will involve working with children identified as at risk due to behavioral or family issues. These placements are typically in community-based agencies. In the final practicum year, students will be placed specifically in a local county child welfare services agency. See a list of field agencies (MS Word .doc).

Students who are DSS/CDSS or CSW employees (part-time students) must return to the agency that sponsored their being in the program. Full-time students have the option of applying to any CWS agency within the State of California upon graduation.

Upon graduation, the student will work in a county child welfare service agency for a period of time equal to the period for which he/she received financial support.

For further information on the Title IV-E Program contact Viola Lindsey, MSW, Program Coordinator, at (909) 379-7583 or email.

Forms

• Mileage reimbursement form (Excel)
• Job search form (Excel)
  
• Employment verification form (MS Word .doc)