Child Welfare Education Workforce Initiative

Child Victim Assistance and Training Project

An AmeriCorps and Smith Family Foundation grant funded project

Overview:

Project of the North Carolina Association of County Directors of Social Services (NCACDSS)/ Child Welfare Education Workforce Initiative (CWEWI).  The focus of the project is to assist the Department of Social Services (DSS) by supporting the training, education, recruitment, and retention of child welfare staff, starting with social work internships.  This is a pilot project specific to the eastern region of the state involving 37 DSS agencies and 8 universities/college.

The 37 Counties invited to participate in pilot project:  Beaufort, Bertie, Bladen, Brunswick, Camden, Carteret, Chowan, Columbus, Craven, Cumberland, Currituck, Dare, Duplin, Edgecombe, Gates, Greene, Halifax, Hertford, Hyde, Jones, Lenoir, Martin, Nash, New Hanover, Northampton, Onslow, Pamlico, Pasquotank, Pender, Perquimans, Pitt, Robeson, Sampson, Tyrell, Washington, Wayne, Wilson

Purpose of Project:

• Promote the recruitment and retention of highly qualified and educated child welfare social workers at county DSS agencies
• Promote a closer partnership between county DSS agencies and university schools of social work
• Provide a subsidy for interns as they complete their field placements and prepare for a child welfare career

Current County Participant/Partners:

Beaufort, Bladen, Brunswick, Carteret, Craven, Chowan, Cumberland, Duplin, Edgecombe, Greene, Lenoir, Onslow, Robeson, Sampson, Wayne, Wilson

University Participant/Partners:

Barton College, Campbell University, East Carolina University, Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, Methodist University, UNC Pembroke, UNC Wilmington

Funding Sources:

• Federal funding (AmeriCorps)
• Private funding (Smith Family Foundation)
• Monetary Contributions from participating Departments of Social Services