OLYMPIA—Staff turnover in child welfare agencies is typically up to six times the national average for turnover across all industries. While the rate has improved locally in recent months, Washington state’s rate still hovers around 22 percent. The Department of Social and Health Services’ Children’s Administration was selected as one of eight sites to partner with the national Quality Improvement Center for Workforce Development (QIC-WD) to strengthen its workforce.
High turnover is just one example of costly workforce issues that can negatively impact children involved with child welfare systems.
“Our staff are our most important assets to help the children we serve achieve safety, permanency and well-being,” said Connie Lambert-Eckel, acting assistant secretary for the Children’s Administration.
Over the next four years, Washington state child welfare staff will work with the QIC-WD to address and study potential solutions to their specific workforce issues. This could include turnover rates, adjustments to organizational culture and climate, selection process and other issues.
The eight sites were chosen through a competitive, national process that began in January 2017. Applicants had to demonstrate their workforce needs and willingness to participate in a research project to be selected. The other selected child welfare systems are: Division of Milwaukee (WI) Child Protective Services; Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians; Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services; Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Child and Family Services; Ohio Department of Job and Family Services and yet-to-be-selected counties; Oklahoma Department of Human Services; and Virginia Department of Social Services and yet-to-be-selected counties.
“DSHS’ Children’s Administration is pleased to be part of this project,” said Lambert-Eckel. “We hope to learn what works to improve not only our retention rates but the outcomes for the children and families we serve.”
“This was a very competitive process,” noted Michelle Graef, Ph.D., research associate professor in industrial-organizational psychology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Center on Children, Families and the Law, and director of the QIC-WD. “The selected sites demonstrated an understanding of their workforce challenges, a willingness to participate in a study, and a desire to partner with our team to test a promising strategy with the potential to significantly improve their agency.”
Established in 2016, the QIC-WD and is funded through a five-year cooperative agreement with the Children’s Bureau. The QIC-WD is led by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and includes experts in child welfare, workforce, implementation, evaluation and dissemination from partner organizations. The QIC-WD is committed to using the best available research, from a variety of fields, to identify strategies to strengthen the workforce of the child welfare system in Washington state.
“Ultimately, a stronger workforce with less turnover and more supportive organizational environments should improve the outcomes of the vulnerable families and children served by the child welfare system,” said Graef.
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The QIC-WD is a service of the Children’s Bureau. If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Norah West at (360) 902-7833 or norah.west@dshs.wa.gov.