Foster care case manager vs school social worker

The differences between foster care case managers and school social workers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-12 months to become a foster care case manager, becoming a school social worker takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a school social worker has an average salary of $54,856, which is higher than the $39,279 average annual salary of a foster care case manager.

The top three skills for a foster care case manager include foster care, social work and foster children. The most important skills for a school social worker are social work, social emotional, and IEP.

Foster care case manager vs school social worker overview

	Foster Care Case Manager	School Social Worker
Yearly salary	$39,279	$54,856
Hourly rate	$18.88	$26.37
Growth rate	12%	9%
Number of jobs	134,853	122,376
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 77%	Master's Degree, 51%
Average age	43	42
Years of experience	12	4

What does a foster care case manager do?

A Foster Care Case Manager provides social work counseling to foster children, families, and foster parents. They plan and coordinate treatments for the required children in accordance with specified requirements.

What does a school social worker do?

A school social worker specializes in counseling students, families, and faculty members. They are responsible for coordinating with the school to develop programs that prioritize the students' emotional and psychological well-being, respond to any issues and concerns, build rapport to identify their needs, and communicate with support services to provide necessary assistance to any students or families. There are also instances when a school social worker must assist teachers in handling students with behavioral issues, investigating the underlying reasons. Moreover, it is crucial to identify any signs of neglect or abuse, conducting interventive measures right away.

Foster care case manager vs school social worker salary

Foster care case managers and school social workers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Foster Care Case Manager	School Social Worker
Average salary	$39,279	$54,856
Salary range	Between $30,000 And $49,000	Between $40,000 And $73,000
Highest paying City	Chicago, IL	Washington, DC
Highest paying state	New York	Washington
Best paying company	Scripps Health	Boston Public Schools
Best paying industry	Professional	Education

Differences between foster care case manager and school social worker education

There are a few differences between a foster care case manager and a school social worker in terms of educational background:

	Foster Care Case Manager	School Social Worker
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 77%	Master's Degree, 51%
Most common major	Social Work	Social Work
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	Boston College

Foster care case manager vs school social worker demographics

Here are the differences between foster care case managers' and school social workers' demographics:

	Foster Care Case Manager	School Social Worker
Average age	43	42
Gender ratio	Male, 20.1% Female, 79.9%	Male, 17.5% Female, 82.5%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 12.5% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 14.1% Asian, 5.3% White, 61.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.8%	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	11%	10%

Differences between foster care case manager and school social worker duties and responsibilities

Foster care case manager example responsibilities.

Manage caseloads for Medicaid; interviewing and instructing clients in proper preparation of documentation.
Prepare court reports, petitions and provide testimony to support case management as required by DHS contract and court mandates.
Assure that DCFS policies and procedures, and all applicable laws, rules, and policies are follow.
Supervise visitation between DCFS wards and their parents and siblings in order to observe parent-child interaction and ensure safety.
Provide services to and on behalf of the consumers, natural families and foster families refer to the agency from DHS.
Perform concurrent review to assure appropriateness of admission, inpatient/acute care, rehabilitation/SNF status, and discharge using establish InterQual guidelines.

School social worker example responsibilities.

Case manage in-district and out-of-district students with emotional disabilities, autism, other health impair and physical disabilities.
Provide individual, group and family therapy to patients suffering from substance abuse/dependence.
Prepare APS reports as needed and present them to the state.
Prepare IEP's, set goals, and objectives consistent with CSE standards.
Train college interns, new employees, and volunteers on APS policies and procedures.
Design school-wide and individual PBIS programs and incentives; as well as compiled data relate to PBIS.

Foster care case manager vs school social worker skills

Common foster care case manager skills

Foster Care, 23%
Social Work, 20%
Foster Children, 6%
Community Resources, 6%
Child Abuse, 5%
Management Services, 5%

Common school social worker skills

Social Work, 26%
Social Emotional, 6%
IEP, 6%
Community Resources, 5%
Professional Development, 5%
Behavioral Issues, 4%

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Foster Care Case Manager
Foster Care Case Manager vs School Social Worker

Updated January 8, 2025

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