To Strengthen the Child Welfare Workforce, Rep. Chu Introduces Legislation to Increase Funding for Caseworker Recruitment and Retention
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Rep. Judy Chu (CA-28) introduced the Promoting a Strong Child Welfare Workforce Act, which would triple the amount of federal funding available to states to support and strengthen their child welfare workforce.
The legislation would increase, from $20 million to $60 million, the set-aside funding within the Marylee Allen Promoting Safe and Stable Families Program (Title IV-B Part 2) that helps states to increase retention, recruitment, and training of caseworkers. In addition, the bill would add language specifying that this funding can be used for activities related to ensuring caseworkers’ safety and well-being.
“Caseworkers in the child welfare system work hard every day to support families and keep children safe, but unfortunately, too many state and county child welfare agencies around the country are short-staffed and face ongoing challenges in recruiting, retaining, and ensuring the safety of their workforce,” said Rep. Chu, who serves on the House Ways and Means Committee, which has jurisdiction over child welfare programs. “To triple the federal funding available to child welfare agencies and help them to strengthen their workforce and keep caseworkers safe, I am introducing the Promoting a Strong Child Welfare Workforce Act today. I look forward to working on the Ways and Means Committee with child welfare advocates and agencies to deliver long-needed assistance.”
This legislation is endorsed by the Child Welfare League of America (CWLA), the National Association of County Human Services Administrators (NACHSA), the National Association of Counties (NACo), and the County Welfare Directors Association of California (CWDA).
“A quality child welfare workforce is essential to ensure good outcomes for children in the child welfare system,” said Linda Spears, President and CEO of the Child Welfare League of America. “No issue has a greater effect on the capacity of the child welfare system to serve children and families than the shortage of a competent, stable workforce. CWLA is pleased to endorse the Promoting a Strong Child Welfare Workforce Act of 2024, which would triple the Title IV-B funding for workforce development initiatives. We applaud Representative Chu for prioritizing the investment of new funds to meet this critical need and for her leadership in improving child welfare policy.”
“The National Association of County Human Services Administrators (NACHSA) strongly supports Representative Chu’s bill to invest in child welfare caseworker recruitment, training and retention. County human services directors nationwide report that their child welfare agency is understaffed, placing enormous pressure on our current caseworkers to ensure the safety of children in our communities. Rep. Chu’s measure helps support those critical efforts,” said Dan Makelky, NACHSA President and Human Services Director in Douglas County, Colorado.
“Counties play a key role in serving vulnerable children and families, yet it remains challenging to hire, train, and retain caseworkers to meet the demand,” said National Association of Counties Executive Director Matthew Chase. “We welcome Representative Chu’s introduction of the Promoting a Strong Child Welfare Workforce Act of 2024 and look forward to working with Congress to ensure its passage as part of a comprehensive Title IV-B reauthorization.”
Click here to read the bill text.