Child welfare specialist vs case planner

The differences between child welfare specialists and case planners can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a child welfare specialist, becoming a case planner takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a child welfare specialist has an average salary of $50,377, which is higher than the $43,496 average annual salary of a case planner.

The top three skills for a child welfare specialist include social work, foster care and child safety. The most important skills for a case planner are social work, foster care, and NYC.

Child welfare specialist vs case planner overview

	Child Welfare Specialist	Case Planner
Yearly salary	$50,377	$43,496
Hourly rate	$24.22	$20.91
Growth rate	9%	12%
Number of jobs	76,508	36,065
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 75%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Average age	42	43
Years of experience	4	12

What does a child welfare specialist do?

Child welfare specialists are professionals who are responsible for protecting children and youngsters from harm by visiting their homes and other residential facilities to investigate their living conditions. These specialists are required to determine the suitability of the homes and resources of foster and adoptive parents for child placement. They must serve as child advocates by attending court proceedings to provide inclusive court proceedings. Child welfare specialists must also work closely with local enforcement to ensure the safety of children.

What does a case planner do?

Case planners are social workers who provide assistance to children and their families to improve their social and psychological functioning as well as maximize the well-being of families. These planners are required to design service plans that address the safety, behavioral, education, and permanency needs of families and adolescents. They must identify potential child abuse and report any suspected abuses to the appropriate authorities. Case planners must also facilitate counseling to domestic violence victims and assist families in obtaining protection orders from victim service nonprofit organizations.

Child welfare specialist vs case planner salary

Child welfare specialists and case planners have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Child Welfare Specialist	Case Planner
Average salary	$50,377	$43,496
Salary range	Between $35,000 And $71,000	Between $33,000 And $57,000
Highest paying City	Cherry Hill, NJ	Islandia, NY
Highest paying state	New Jersey	New Jersey
Best paying company	University of California	The New York Foundling
Best paying industry	Technology	Professional

Differences between child welfare specialist and case planner education

There are a few differences between a child welfare specialist and a case planner in terms of educational background:

	Child Welfare Specialist	Case Planner
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 75%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Most common major	Social Work	Psychology
Most common college	SUNY at Albany	California State University - Long Beach

Child welfare specialist vs case planner demographics

Here are the differences between child welfare specialists' and case planners' demographics:

	Child Welfare Specialist	Case Planner
Average age	42	43
Gender ratio	Male, 20.2% Female, 79.8%	Male, 19.2% Female, 80.8%
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, 12.3% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 25.9% Asian, 6.1% White, 48.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.2%
LGBT Percentage	10%	11%

Differences between child welfare specialist and case planner duties and responsibilities

Child welfare specialist example responsibilities.

Manage TANF program, in turn this help clients develop skills to enter the workforce.
Provide comprehensive case management to DCFS clients and their families to achieve case goals as outlined in the client service plan.
Manage a caseload TANF clients, assess clients eligibility to receive benefits, assist with placement of clients in various programs.
Complete behavior, mood and communication sections assign to social services on the MDS.
Advocate for the rights of incapacitate adults who are the alleged victims in APS referrals.
Assist clients in resolving conflicts with DHS workers or service providers while maintaining professionalism in an emotionally charge climate.

Case planner example responsibilities.

Manage a caseload of families with children in DSS custody awaiting return home to family of origin base upon progress make.
Keep current on Medicaid rates/services they will reimburse for Medicaid recipients.
Sign patients up for all Medicare and Medicaid benefits that are offer to them.
Perform concurrent review to assure appropriateness of admission, inpatient/acute care, rehabilitation/SNF status, and discharge using establish InterQual guidelines.
Make referrals to home care and/or DME vendors using Medicare/Medicaid criteria/eligibility.

Child welfare specialist vs case planner skills

Common child welfare specialist skills

Social Work, 30%
Foster Care, 16%
Child Safety, 4%
Child Welfare, 4%
Court Hearings, 3%
Community Resources, 3%

Common case planner skills

Social Work, 18%
Foster Care, 16%
NYC, 5%
Substance Abuse, 5%
Crisis Intervention, 5%
NYS, 4%

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Child Welfare Specialist
Child Welfare Specialist vs Case Planner

Updated January 8, 2025

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