Child, Family, and School Social Workers
In the Child, Family, and School Social Workers occupation, workers 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. O*NET rates it as considerable preparation, which usually means a bachelor’s degree plus a period of work experience. It leans on active listening, speaking, and social perceptiveness. One core duty is to maintain case history records and prepare reports. With a code of SCI, this is mostly a job for people drawn to helping, teaching or caring for people. Conventional interests also help, rated 3.6 out of 7. People who want helping, teaching or caring for people usually fit better here than those who need hands-on work with tools, machines or the physical world.
What they do
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.
Main tasks
- 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.
Skills
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Social Perceptiveness
- Critical Thinking
- Service Orientation
- Reading Comprehension
Who this career fits
May suit you if
- You get energy from helping other people move forward.
- You like clear rules and getting the details right.
- You are ready to spend around four years on a degree, then build experience.
- You are comfortable relying on active listening and speaking.
May not suit you if
- You find a full day of dealing with people draining.
- You want to work with your hands for most of the day. Realistic rates 1.7 out of 7 here.
- You want to avoid a four-year degree or its equivalent.
Interest profile
O*NET rates each occupation from 1 to 7 on six interest types. The code SCI takes the three highest, and Social comes first here.
Preparation
Considerable preparation. Most jobs here ask for a bachelor’s degree, and employers usually expect a few years of related experience as well.
Most-reported requirement in the O*NET survey: Bachelor's Degree. This reflects what workers reported most often and is not a legal minimum. Licensing rules can differ by state or industry, so confirm what applies where you plan to work.
Also called
- Adoption Social Worker
- Case Manager
- Case Worker
- Child Protective Services Social Worker (CPS Social Worker)
- Family Protection Specialist
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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.