Child protective investigator vs foster care worker

The differences between child protective investigators and foster care workers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a child protective investigator and a foster care worker. Additionally, a child protective investigator has an average salary of $47,903, which is higher than the $46,037 average annual salary of a foster care worker.

The top three skills for a child protective investigator include patrol, social work and local law enforcement. The most important skills for a foster care worker are foster care, social work, and child abuse.

Child protective investigator vs foster care worker overview

	Child Protective Investigator	Foster Care Worker
Yearly salary	$47,903	$46,037
Hourly rate	$23.03	$22.13
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	15,938	151,625
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 73%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	4	4

What does a child protective investigator do?

A child protective investigator is responsible for investigating incident reports for child-violating cases, collecting court evidence of child abuse, and keeping the child under safe custody for protection. Child protective investigators conduct field investigations by locating the area of concern, interviewing witnesses, and analyzing similar cases of violence. They coordinate with medical professionals to check the child's condition and record any signs of trauma and injuries. A child protective investigator may also attend court procedures to represent the child and testify to press charges with the abuser.

What does a foster care worker do?

A Foster Care Worker helps improve the social and psychological functioning of children and their families as well as increases the family's well-being and the academic functioning of children. They counsel families about issues regarding their child's care and develop healthy living situations.

Child protective investigator vs foster care worker salary

Child protective investigators and foster care workers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Child Protective Investigator	Foster Care Worker
Average salary	$47,903	$46,037
Salary range	Between $37,000 And $61,000	Between $32,000 And $65,000
Highest paying City	Camden, NJ	Baltimore, MD
Highest paying state	New Jersey	New Jersey
Best paying company	Saks Fifth Avenue	Riverview Health
Best paying industry	Government	Construction

Differences between child protective investigator and foster care worker education

There are a few differences between a child protective investigator and a foster care worker in terms of educational background:

	Child Protective Investigator	Foster Care Worker
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 73%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Most common major	Criminal Justice	Social Work
Most common college	SUNY at Albany	Boston University

Child protective investigator vs foster care worker demographics

Here are the differences between child protective investigators' and foster care workers' demographics:

	Child Protective Investigator	Foster Care Worker
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 32.4% Female, 67.6%	Male, 20.1% Female, 79.9%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 13.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 2.7% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%	Black or African American, 13.4% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 15.1% Asian, 2.7% White, 63.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.5%
LGBT Percentage	10%	10%

Differences between child protective investigator and foster care worker duties and responsibilities

Child protective investigator example responsibilities.

Utilize locating systems, negotiate agreements, file motions and prepare subpoenas.
Review and approve time sheets, mileage reports for CPI assign to the unit.
Complete timely findings including determining if someone should be place on the child abuse registry.
Investigate reports of abuse, neglect and exploitation that are report to the state abuse hotline.
Respond to Hotline reports, conduct child safety assessments, and determine immediate risk to child.
Review child safety assessments as submitted by CPI, and provide direction and guidance in the investigation.

Foster care worker example responsibilities.

Conduct unscheduled regular school visits to attain records of attendance, suspensions, IEP, and treatment plans.
Manage to write progress note, complete FASP's and input information on PROMIS on a timely manner.
Manage caseload of 18 23 children and adolescents in DSS custody due to abuse, neglect and criminal activity.
Manage a caseload of families with children in DSS custody awaiting return home to family of origin base upon progress make.
Lead presentation and training sessions to community and inter-agency groups.
Help children/youth in state custody achieve permanency whether through reintegration, adoption or custodianship.

Child protective investigator vs foster care worker skills

Common child protective investigator skills

Patrol, 35%
Social Work, 16%
Local Law Enforcement, 7%
CCTV, 4%
Child Protective, 4%
Family Dynamics, 3%

Common foster care worker skills

Foster Care, 26%
Social Work, 19%
Child Abuse, 7%
Social Services, 6%
Foster Children, 5%
Community Resources, 4%

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Community and Social Services Industry
Child Protective Investigator
Child Protective Investigator vs Foster Care Worker

Updated January 8, 2025

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