Child welfare specialist vs case worker

The differences between child welfare specialists and case 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 specialist and a case worker. Additionally, a child welfare specialist has an average salary of $50,377, which is higher than the $41,459 average annual salary of a case worker.

The top three skills for a child welfare specialist include social work, foster care and child safety. The most important skills for a case worker are social work, crisis intervention, and patients.

Child welfare specialist vs case worker overview

	Child Welfare Specialist	Case Worker
Yearly salary	$50,377	$41,459
Hourly rate	$24.22	$19.93
Growth rate	9%	9%
Number of jobs	76,508	107,329
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 75%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	4	4

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 worker do?

Caseworkers are social workers who watch over the welfare of underprivileged individuals and at-risk families by counseling and providing them with assistance. Usually employed under the government or a local non-profit organization, a caseworker must conduct a thorough interview and house visits to determine the needs of the family. They then refer them to any programs or agencies that can give them the specific care and help needed. Furthermore, it is crucial to identify neglect and abuse signs, reporting them to the authorities right away.

Child welfare specialist vs case worker salary

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

	Child Welfare Specialist	Case Worker
Average salary	$50,377	$41,459
Salary range	Between $35,000 And $71,000	Between $30,000 And $55,000
Highest paying City	Cherry Hill, NJ	New York, NY
Highest paying state	New Jersey	New Jersey
Best paying company	University of California	Appalachian Regional Healthcare
Best paying industry	Technology	Education

Differences between child welfare specialist and case worker education

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

	Child Welfare Specialist	Case Worker
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 75%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Most common major	Social Work	Psychology
Most common college	SUNY at Albany	University of Pennsylvania

Child welfare specialist vs case worker demographics

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

	Child Welfare Specialist	Case Worker
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 20.2% Female, 79.8%	Male, 26.8% Female, 73.2%
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 specialist and case worker 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.

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Case worker example responsibilities.

Establish collaborative relationships with patients within a supportive atmosphere to assist in confronting drug relate behavior and achieving sobriety.
Review and research leads regarding personal injury cases by obtaining information from the Medicaid recipient's attorney and insurance adjuster
File, close and maintain records in either physical case file or on ETO.
Train new employees and assign tasks in driving and all responsibilities in DCS documentations.
Provide weekly face to face updates to youth and telephonic updates to family members/sponsor with documentation find in ETO.
Facilitate DCS court order supervised visitation during the reunification process.

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Child welfare specialist vs case worker 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 worker skills

Social Work, 20%
Crisis Intervention, 8%
Patients, 7%
Substance Abuse, 6%
Community Resources, 6%
Child Abuse, 5%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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