Child Welfare MSW

California Title IV-E Education Program was instituted at CSULB School of Social Work in 1993. The California Title IV-E Education Program award is funded through Title IV-E monies from the federal government designated for child welfare training. The mission and goals of this unique partnership between social work education and the publicly supported child welfare structure focus on the reprofessionalization of public child welfare. California Title IV-E Education Program provides financial support to MSW students in exchange for a commitment to work in a public child welfare agency, within the State of California, for a minimum of two years.

Program Descriptions
The CSULB School of Social Work offers a full-time California Title IV-E Education Program and a part-time California Title IV-E Education Program.

Full-time California Title IV-E Education Stipend Program 
The California Title IV-E Education full-time stipend program provides for two years of support, at $18,500 per year, for students enrolled in the Child and Family Well-Being concentration, two-year model of the MSW program. The student signs a contract to secure full-time employment in a public child welfare agency for two (2) years, one year of employment for each year of support. However, students are expected to remain in public child welfare employment for longer than this minimum period.

Admission 
In order to apply for the California Title IV-E Education Program stipend, students must first be admitted into the MSW program, after which they submit an application and answer various questions designed to ascertain their interest and level of commitment to a career in public child welfare. Priority is given to applicants who reflect the diverse client population groups currently served by child welfare agencies in California. Fluency in a high-demand language is also given priority. Years of service and other child welfare experience weigh significantly into the selection process.

Individuals intending to apply for California Title IV-E Education Program should be aware of the following stipulations: § Students in the program must be U.S. citizens or have a permanent visa; § Inter-University Consortium students are not eligible for the California Title IV-E Education Program, and; § CalSWEC students are not eligible for the PPS (Pupil Personnel Services) credential.

Please Note: Applicants must be admitted into the MSW Two-Year Program, Child and Family Well-being Concentration, by the first Friday in June of each year.

California Title IV-E Education Program Requirements
Students participating in the program must meet all of the following criteria:

  • Enroll in and successfully complete the Child and Family Well-Being Concentration;
  • Maintain a B (3.0) average;
  • Successfully complete and receive a grade of credit in the first year of fieldwork placed in a nonprofit agency serving IV-E eligible children (in this case, IV-E refers to clients who are TANF eligible);
  • Successfully complete and receive a grade of credit in the second year of fieldwork placed in a public child welfare agency, and;
  • Have a valid driver's license, current automobile insurance, and secure the use of a car, as required by fieldwork.
  • Must undergo pre-screening for county employment including fingerprinting, psychological examination, and medical examination.

California Title IV-E Education Program students are required to participate in specialized training seminars and activities throughout the year. Students also are involved in a specialized child welfare job fair. Additionally,students are required to take the Child Welfare elective:

  • SW 643 - Social Work Practice within Child Welfare Services

Students must repay California Title IV-E Education Program if they are unable to successfully complete any of the program requirements.

For further information, please see the brochure below:

Students eligible to apply for the part-time California Title IV-E Education Program reimbursement program must be employees of a County Child Welfare Service, County Departments of Social Services, or the California Department of Social Services. All part-time applicants must provide a letter of support from their agency administrator/director. Students participating in the program sign a contract to return to their home agency to render 6 months of continuous and satisfactory full-time employment for each 15 semester units of California Title IV-E Education Program educational support, at a level appropriate to a new MSW in public child welfare. Once contracted, the student receives full tuition and fees, costs for required books (up to $650 per semester), and a travel allowance. The travel allowance will be determined based on the two-way commuting distance from the student's home or work to the campus and/or fieldwork site and return to that location.

Please Note: All California Title IV-E Education Program Child Welfare applicants must be admitted into the MSW 3-Year Program within the Child and Family Well-being Concentration, by the first Friday in June each year.

For further information please see the brochure below: