How to hire a child abuse worker

How to hire a child abuse worker, step by step

Here's a step-by-step child abuse worker hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a child abuse worker job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new child abuse worker
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

Post a child abuse worker job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   The child abuse worker hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a child abuse worker to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a child abuse worker that fits the bill.

   This list presents child abuse worker salaries for various positions.

   Type of Child Abuse Worker	Description	Hourly rate
   Child Abuse Worker	Social workers help people solve and cope with problems in their everyday lives. One group of social workers—clinical social workers—also diagnose and treat mental, behavioral, and emotional issues.	$18-25
   Youth Development Professional	Youth Development Professionals are specialists in implementing and overseeing programs to help adolescents discover their abilities and interests. They are responsible for coordinating career days and field trips, organizing mentorship sessions, create youth outreach projects, and assisting community organizations in youth provision development... Show more	$9-45
   Youth Advocate	Youth advocates are individuals who responsible for maintaining the human rights of youth while assisting them in developing their skills in all areas of life, such as education, health, employment, and relationships. These advocates are required to discuss youth development and involvement with various leaders in the community... Show more	$12-19

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Social Services
   • Law Enforcement
   • Emergency Situations
   • Crisis Intervention
   • Child Sexual Abuse
   • Mental Health
   • Protective Services

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead presentation and training sessions to community and inter-agency groups.
   • Coordinate admissions of active duty service members and veterans to the inpatient rehabilitation/medical unit after suffering a new spinal cord injury.
   • Perform related adoptions and supervisory visits for state adoptions.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your child abuse worker job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A child abuse worker can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, child abuse workers' average salary in mississippi is 51% less than in new jersey.
   • Seniority. Entry-level child abuse workers 30% less than senior-level child abuse workers.
   • Certifications. A child abuse worker with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a child abuse worker's salary.

   Average child abuse worker salary

   $45,627yearly

   $21.94 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level child abuse worker salary

   $38,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 31, 2025

4. Writing a child abuse worker job description

   A child abuse worker job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a child abuse worker job description:

   Child abuse worker job description example

   The eligible register developed from this posting may be used to fill future FT and PT vacancies within this classification.
   One position available: Child Protection Case Manager - 34 hours per week.
   
   Performs highly responsible and professional social work involving protecting children within the permanency in their families.
   
   Primary responsibilities of the Case Manager position include: provides ongoing service and monitoring to families where there is a finding of abuse or neglect to protect children from further harm. Engages families in the development of case plans to resolve the child protection concerns. Engages families who are both court involved and non-court involved. Develops safety plans to maintain children in the home whenever possible and assesses the need for out of home placement when required. Provides support to parents and children and assures permanency for children. Families active with Child Protection are not voluntary clients; thus, reactions met during the course of work varies greatly.
   
   Primary responsibilities within the assessment function include: respond to allegations of child maltreatment, provide both family assessment and family investigation response; including facility investigations. Makes decisions regarding a finding of maltreatment and services needed. Assesses and evaluates the safety needs of children within their families including the need for out-of-home placement and court-involvement as well as safety planning.
   
   Some evening and weekend hours may be required. Essential Duties
   
   Performs ongoing assessment activities to ensure children are safe: evaluates safety needs of children using a questioning approach consistent with the agencies Signs of Safety philosophy; assesses reports of child maltreatment and determines if it has occurred; and assesses family functioning by defining strengths and needs.
   
   Initiates court proceedings when necessary: provides recommendations to the court regarding family reunification and concurrent permanency planning; testifies and represents the department/County position in court; negotiates with legal/court professionals on recommendations, planning, goals and services, and makes decisions regarding permanency needs for children (i.e. reunification, transfer of legal custody, TPR/adoption).
   
   Finds and develops appropriate homes for children requiring out-of-home placement for safety; conducts searches to ensure family placement if possible.
   
   Coordinates the development of support and safety networks for families: explains the benefits of established safety networks and family group decision making meetings; and refers, participates and facilitates family meetings at any stage of families' involvement with the Social Service agency.
   
   Provides case management services to families through development of case plans to assure safety for children.
   
   Coordinates services and resources to families, which includes support and decision making by extended family members and friends.
   
   Provides children with a permanent safe environment through provision of social work services to families, including crisis intervention.
   
   Provides ongoing service and monitoring to families where there is a finding of abuse or neglect to protect children from further harm. Develops safety plans for children; coaches families on how to meet their identified needs, provides support to parents and children and assures permanency for children in a safe, supportive family.
   
   Facilitates family conferences to address safety and permanency needs for children.
   
   Participates in local collaborative and interagency planning meetings.
   
   Performs a variety of administrative duties in keeping records and case plans: including utilizing SSIS (Social Service Information Systems), Sharepoint, and Traverse (Electronic Data Management System).
   
   Works the days and hours necessary to perform all assigned responsibilities and tasks. Must be available during regular business hours to communicate with subordinates, supervisor, customers, vendors and another person or organization with whom interaction is required to accomplish work and employee goals.
   
   Performs back-up intake and screening functions for reports of maltreatment and other social services requests to determine if further action is warranted.
   
   Performs other duties as required.
   
   Minimum Qualifications
   
   Requires equivalency of a bachelor's degree in a human services related field and three years of experience providing professional social work case management. Case management experience with children and families is highly desired. Expertise in serving underrepresented communities; specifically American Indian and Hispanic populations, and candidates who are bilingual, are preferred. Must possess a valid driver's license and provide a reliable means of transportation for the performance of work responsibilities.
   
   Selection Process
   
   Selection for this position will be based on a minimum qualifications screening and rating of training and experience. Top candidates will be forwarded to the hiring manager or supervisor for consideration for interview and/or additional assessments. Final selection will include a background check and approval by the County Board.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right child abuse worker for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with child abuse workers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit child abuse workers who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your child abuse worker job on Zippia to find and recruit child abuse worker candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with child abuse worker candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new child abuse worker

   Once you have selected a candidate for the child abuse worker position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new child abuse worker first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a child abuse worker?