Social Work
Title IV-E Child Welfare Program
Title IV-E Child Welfare Program
The purpose of the Title IV-E Child Welfare Program is to prepare Social Work Scholars to work in the Title IV-E public and tribal agencies in rural Minnesota. Within the program, students gain valuable field experience during internships in public or tribal child welfare agencies, better preparing them for their careers upon graduation.
Our scholars learn the scope of child welfare practice from policy development to individual and family intervention. They exit the program with an understanding of the challenges in child welfare services and are capable to provide a professional response.
Program Benefits:
- Cohort model for peer-to-peer support, professional growth, and advising
- Connections to Child Welfare internships with stipend
- Extensive preparation in child safety, permanency, and well-being
- Job search support
Additional Program Information
Child Welfare Curriculum
All Title IV-E Child Welfare Program student scholars must follow all standard curriculum requirements as detailed in either the BSW Social Work Program Student Handbook or MSW Social Work Program Student Handbook. Review these requirements carefully.
SCSU Department of Social Work
Title IV-E Child Welfare Program student scholars are expected to exhibit exemplary professional social work conduct and performance throughout their educational experience.
Each BSW Title IV-E Child Welfare Program student scholar is required to complete Child Welfare: Public-Private prior to their final field placement and enrolling in Internship and Field Practice Seminar. The course must be completed with a grade of “C-” or better. Child welfare competencies for this course are identified in the course syllabus.
MSW Foundation students are required to complete Child Welfare: Public-Private (graduate level). MSW Advanced Standing/Concentration students are required to complete the Public-Private course if they have no child welfare practice experience). All graduate students are required to complete the current offering of Trauma Informed Social Work Practice.
Program Stipend & Obligations
Once accepted and admitted into the Title IV-E Child Welfare Program, child welfare student scholars will receive financial and educational support during their social work education. Child welfare student scholars are expected to be a student in good standing and making appropriate, timely progress towards their social work degree to receive the stipend and supplemental social work education.
All child welfare student scholars receive a stipend each semester they are part of the Title IV-E Child Welfare Program and enrolled full-time in the required courses:
- BSW student scholars receive $2,300.00 per semester.
- MSW student scholars receive $3,500.00 per semester.
The stipend may be used for all school-related expenses.
Eligibility & Application Process
Information sessions are held in both Fall and Spring semesters. Announcements are also provided during various Social Work courses.
Information and announcements will be posted outside SH224, SH 264-1 & SH237 and will be posted on this webpage.
Applications are available upon request.
Program Background
The Minnesota Title IV-E Consortium, part of a nationwide program, manages federal funds to help social work students become better prepared to work in public or tribal child welfare throughout Minnesota. Stipend awards, specialized advising and child welfare curricula are provided to students who are accepted into the program during their social work studies.
The Department of Human Services and University of Minnesota Twin Cities have partnered to enhance child welfare training. The mission of the MN Child Welfare Training Academy is to train, develop, and support the skills, expertise, and well-being of Minnesota's child welfare workforce while nurturing a commitment to equitable child welfare practice.
Nationwide, a greater number of child welfare specialized BSW and MSW workers, engage in public child welfare service areas, counteracting the trend of non-professionals working in the public child welfare field. A positive impact is in retention of professionals who have gone through the program, decreased worker turnover with families, providing children and families with greater consistency to achieve better outcomes.
Diversity is a critical component of the program to address the overrepresentation of children from African American and American Indian communities in the child welfare system. The Title IV-E Child Welfare Program addresses this through its curriculum and experiences, focusing on culturally sensitive and competent practice and relationships.
Contact US
Sara DeVos
Title IV-E Child Welfare Program Director
Department Chair, Assistant Professor
St. Cloud State University – Department of Social Work, SH 238
720 Fourth Avenue S, St. Cloud, MN 56301
Email: srdevos@stcloudstate.edu
Amanda R. Johnson
Title IV-E Child Welfare Program Assistant
St. Cloud State University – Department of Social Work, SH 264-1
720 Fourth Avenue S, St. Cloud, MN 56301
Phone: (320) 308-4880
Email: amanda.johnson@stcloudstate.edu