The School of Social Work at Minnesota State University Moorhead is a member of the Child Welfare Consortium, which is composed of numerous institutions of higher education across Minnesota. Title IV-E funds have been allocated for students planning to work in a child welfare setting upon graduation. The goal of the program is to prepare competent child welfare practitioners eager to improve the quality of our child welfare system.

What is "public" child welfare?

For purposes of defining the area of practice that we are supporting, the Consortium uses the definition of child welfare services that appears in the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980, Part B, Section 425 (a) (1):

The term "child welfare services" means public social services, which are directed toward the accomplishment of the following purposes:

(A) Protecting and promoting the welfare of all children, including handicapped, homeless, dependent, or neglected children; (B) Preventing or remedying, or assisting in the solution of problems which may result in the neglect, abuse, exploitation, or delinquency of children; (C) Preventing the unnecessary separation of children from their families by identifying family problems, assisting families in resolving their problems, and preventing breakup of the family where the prevention of child removal is desirable and possible; (D) Restoring to their families children who have been removed, by the provision of services to the child and the families; (E) Placing children in suitable adoptive homes, in cases where restoration to the biological family is not possible or appropriate; and (F) Assuring adequate care of children away from their homes, in cases where the child cannot be returned home or cannot be placed for adoption.

What are the requirements?

If awarded a Child Welfare Stipend, Baccalaureate in Social Work (BSW) students are required to:

• have a senior field practicum in a county or state child welfare unit;
• complete a child welfare course at one of the consortium schools;
• attend child welfare IV-E student meetings and training seminars if applicable;
• maintain good academic standing (as defined by School of Social policy); and
• upon exit from the School of Social Work seek and accept employment in public child welfare (if such a position is available and offered within three months of graduation) and maintain such employment for four and a half months for each semester of stipend received.

What are the job search guidelines?

Recipients of the Child Welfare Stipend are provided job search documentation forms to record contact they have made with counties to demonstrate that they are attempting to secure full-time county employment in child welfare upon graduation, as the stipend stipulates. You are required to register with the Minnesota Merit System unless you have already secured a child welfare position.

MSUM Child Welfare Director

Contact for the Minnesota BSW Title IV-E Child Welfare Consortium

Melissa Batalden Mendez, MSW, LICSW
Child Welfare Education Partnership Coordinator
Minnesota Child Welfare Training Academy
Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF)
1711 West County Road B
Roseville, Minnesota 55113
www.mnchildwelfaretraining.com
612.301.9795