Indianapolis, IN – Integrated healthcare and social services provider Adult & Child Health (A&C) was recently awarded $110,000 through the Department of Childrens Services (DCS) Workforce Stabilization Grant, a $30 million state-wide program offered to organizations that work with DCS to provide services to children and families. As a Licensed Child Placing Agency (LCPA), A&C provides foster home licensing, foster parent training, home based therapy, wrap around services, and family preservation services, as referred by DCS or Juvenile Probation. To address high turnover rates within the child welfare services industry, A&C plans to use awarded funds to invest in enhanced staff recruitment, training, and retention initiatives for its child welfare workforce.
The need for engaged and career-oriented employees in the Indiana child welfare service environment is tremendous. The most recent Indiana KIDS COUNT Data Book, completed by Indiana Youth Institute (IYI), cites DCS as reporting 20,000 children are living in Indiana foster homes in 2022 and an additional 13,000 need, or potentially need, foster care services. Responding to this demand is no easy feat for social service provider organizations. Heavy caseloads paired with the stress of working with some of the most vulnerable members of the community often leads to burnout, and in some cases, more serious issues. According to the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, studies show that up to 50% of child welfare workers are at high risk of secondary traumatic stress or related conditions of PTSD and vicarious trauma.
With the help of DCS grant funding, A&C aims to promote sustainable, long-term child welfare careers, and support its employees’ continued commitment to the agency’s mission. In addition to a retention bonus program, A&C has launched an 18-month plan to provide child welfare team members with additional training, staff development, supportive teambuilding activities, career advancement and leadership development opportunities.
Attracting and retaining qualified, skilled, and compassionate employees to deliver A&C’s child welfare services with excellence is a top priority for A&C Director of Child Welfare Services Megan Trible. “The Workforce Stabilization Grant will be used not only to support staff retention, but also to elevate and develop an elite team of Child Welfare Specialists who have a unique understanding of the barriers and hardships families face within our community.”
