Foster care worker vs case planner

The differences between foster care workers 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 foster care worker, becoming a case planner takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a foster care worker has an average salary of $46,037, which is higher than the $43,496 average annual salary of a case planner.

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

Foster care worker vs case planner overview

	Foster Care Worker	Case Planner
Yearly salary	$46,037	$43,496
Hourly rate	$22.13	$20.91
Growth rate	9%	12%
Number of jobs	151,625	36,065
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 64%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Average age	42	43
Years of experience	4	12

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.

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.

Foster care worker vs case planner salary

Foster care workers and case planners have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Foster Care Worker	Case Planner
Average salary	$46,037	$43,496
Salary range	Between $32,000 And $65,000	Between $33,000 And $57,000
Highest paying City	Baltimore, MD	Islandia, NY
Highest paying state	New Jersey	New Jersey
Best paying company	Riverview Health	The New York Foundling
Best paying industry	Construction	Professional

Differences between foster care worker and case planner education

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

	Foster Care Worker	Case Planner
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 64%	Bachelor's Degree, 70%
Most common major	Social Work	Psychology
Most common college	Boston University	California State University - Long Beach

Foster care worker vs case planner demographics

Here are the differences between foster care workers' and case planners' demographics:

	Foster Care Worker	Case Planner
Average age	42	43
Gender ratio	Male, 20.1% Female, 79.9%	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 foster care worker and case planner duties and responsibilities

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.

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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.

Foster care worker vs case planner skills

Common foster care worker skills

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

Common case planner skills

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

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Updated January 8, 2025

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