A child welfare worker is often the first to respond to a child in need and among the last to handle their case before they’re reunified with parents or placed in a loving, permanent home.
They pick up the late-night and early-morning calls. They juggle 17-hour days. They drive hours to make sure children and families in their care get the support they need. They advocate for children to school workers, principals, teachers, attorneys and police officers.
These frontline workers hold the foster and adoptive community together in many ways.
But who takes care of them? The short answer is: A lot of people — and still not enough.
Their work isn’t just another job. These are souls they’re helping steward. They’re responsible for the well-being of vulnerable children, and for that of the families who open their homes to those kids. And almost every single one of them has a deeply personal sense of calling to the work.