The study of workload in child protective and child welfare agencies

Date

2008

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Protecting Children

Abstract

Workload management in child welfare is neither simply defined nor simply addressed. The measurement of the work tasks required to meet minimal standards of practice is but one piece of a larger puzzle. Staff turnover, absences and vacancies, new staff training and placement cycles, frequent policy and practice changes, and automation are only a handful of the compounding factors that must be considered. Even if all the pieces of the workload management puzzle can be put in place, the ability of managers and leaders to mobilize resources and act on key strategies often falls short. The current focus on evidence-based practice and measurement of child and family outcomes elevates the undeniable urgency to bring workload management to the forefront of child welfare

Description

Keywords

workload, child protective services, caseload, child welfare

Citation

deVaron Reynolds, J., Costello, T., & Edwards, M. T. (2008). The study of workload in child protective and child welfare services. Time and Effort: Perspectives on Workload Roundtable. Protecting Children, 23(3), 18 p.

DOI