Child welfare consultant vs foster care worker

The differences between child welfare consultants 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 welfare consultant and a foster care worker. Additionally, a child welfare consultant has an average salary of $47,497, which is higher than the $46,037 average annual salary of a foster care worker.

The top three skills for a child welfare consultant include technical assistance, foster care and child welfare system. The most important skills for a foster care worker are foster care, social work, and child abuse.

Child welfare consultant vs foster care worker overview

	Child Welfare Consultant	Foster Care Worker
Yearly salary	$47,497	$46,037
Hourly rate	$22.84	$22.13
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	16,721	151,625
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	4	4

Child welfare consultant vs foster care worker salary

Child welfare consultants and foster care workers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Child Welfare Consultant	Foster Care Worker
Average salary	$47,497	$46,037
Salary range	Between $38,000 And $58,000	Between $32,000 And $65,000
Highest paying City	-	Baltimore, MD
Highest paying state	-	New Jersey
Best paying company	-	Riverview Health
Best paying industry	-	Construction

Differences between child welfare consultant and foster care worker education

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

	Child Welfare Consultant	Foster Care Worker
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 60%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Most common major	Psychology	Social Work
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	Boston University

Child welfare consultant vs foster care worker demographics

Here are the differences between child welfare consultants' and foster care workers' demographics:

	Child Welfare Consultant	Foster Care Worker
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 20.0% Female, 80.0%	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 welfare consultant and foster care worker duties and responsibilities

Child welfare consultant example responsibilities.

Investigate child abuse/neglect allegations and complaints refer from the state central registry.
Coordinate and scheduledbiweekly meetings to discuss the development of the CQI manual.
Perform related adoptions and supervisory visits for state adoptions.

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 welfare consultant vs foster care worker skills

Common child welfare consultant skills

Technical Assistance, 32%
Foster Care, 29%
Child Welfare System, 15%
Child Safety, 10%
Community Stakeholders, 9%
Improvement Plan, 6%

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 Welfare Consultant
Child Welfare Consultant vs Foster Care Worker

Updated January 8, 2025

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