School of Social Work

Child Welfare

School of Social Work
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo MI 49008-5354 USA
(269) 387-3180

Western Michigan University is now offering a pathway for students interested in becoming child welfare professionals to learn more about child welfare-related work. 

Graduate students currently enrolled at Western Michigan University are eligible to apply for the Child Welfare Graduate Certificate.

Bachelor’s level students currently enrolled at Western Michigan University are eligible to declare a Child Welfare Minor.

Child Welfare Logo

What is Child Welfare?

Child Welfare workers nurture families and support permanent connections to enhance child well-being. Child welfare workers will work with parents to ensure children and their families have the tools they need to thrive, building upon the strengths of the family and their community to help provide safe, permanent, and loving environments for children. 

Watch the "Is this the job for me?" video
 
Title IV-E Child Welfare Fellowship

The Title IV-E Child Welfare Fellowship is an opportunity to provide resources and support to students committed to working in the child welfare system including but not limited to Children’s Protective Services, Foster Care, Licensing and Adoption, and more. There are requirements for eligibility to be considered for this program as well as obligations for students after completion of the program. Being part of the fellowship comes with a stipend per semester, but students will also be contractually obligated to search for and accept employment within the child welfare system upon graduation. Please see below to learn more our program or contact Jennifer Stiller, Program Manager. 

Explore available employment opportunities for Child Welfare Fellows
Title IV-E Child Welfare Fellowship funding
  • $5,000 per semester for up to 2 semesters ($10,000) for BSW students accepted into the Child Welfare Minor and Title IV-E Fellowship Program. This comes with it up to an 8 month pay-back period working in a child welfare agency within the state of Michigan. 
     
  • $5,000 per semester for up to 3 semesters ($15,000) for MSW advanced standing students accepted into the MSW advanced standing and Title IV-E Fellowship programs. This comes with it up to a one year (12 month) pay-back period working in a child welfare agency within the state of Michigan. BSW students who received the Title IV-E Fellowship Program previously (either at WMU or another school) are eligible for the MSW Title IV-E Fellowship program.
     
  • $5,000 per semester for up to 4 semesters ($20,000) for MSW standard or extended study students accepted into the MSW standard or extended study and Title IV-E Fellowship programs. This comes with it up to a 16 month pay-back period working in a child welfare agency within the state of Michigan. BSW students who received the Title IV-E Fellowship Program previously (either at WMU or another school) are eligible for the MSW Title IV-E Fellowship Program.

The following requirements are for fellowship applicants only.

 

Requirements for eligibility 

Students must be U.S. citizens, U.S. permanent residents, DACA status or eligible noncitizens to participate in the fellowship 

Must be either: 

  • Accepted into the Bachelor’s of Social Work Program at Western Michigan University
  • Accepted into the Master’s of Social Work Program at Western Michigan University
Requirements while in the program

Students are required to maintain a “good standing” status throughout their program to continue to be eligible for the fellowship, including maintaining a 3.0 or higher in all child welfare-related courses 

Child Welfare minor: 

  • SWRK 4235: History, Policies, and Confronting Disparities in Child Welfare
  • SWRK 4530: Child Maltreatment: Prevention, Assessment, and Intervention

Child Welfare graduate certificate program: 

  • SWRK 6500: Core Concepts in Child and Adolescent Trauma 
  • SWRK 6376: Integrative Seminar in Child Welfare

Approved graduate child welfare course electives

Students receiving the fellowship, must select one field practicum within a child welfare agency that is considered a public, private, or tribal agency within Michigan. 

Students will be required to complete three assessments throughout their program. These assessments will be utilized to ensure the functioning and fidelity of the program as well as assess student comprehension of child welfare fundamentals throughout the program.

Requirements after program completion

Students are expected to maintain active communication with the Title IV-E Leadership team regarding job searches and completion of the work payback requirement.

Students are expected to complete a 4 month per stipend work payback within a Michigan Child Welfare Agency.

  • Note: Work payback requirements can range from 4 months (with one stipend) up to 24 months (with six stipends).

Students are expected to participate in post-program completion assessments for up to two years after graduating to continue assessing the functioning and fidelity of the program as well as the student’s impressions of the program’s ability to prepare them for work within the child welfare field.

Fellowship applications

You must be logged into goWMU when applying.

Title IV-E Fellowship BSW Child Welfare application

This application is only for current BSW undergraduate students who have either:

  • Been accepted to the BSW major or
  • Are current BSW students
Apply Now

Title IV-E Fellowship & Graduate Certificate MSW Child Welfare application

This application is only for MSW graduate students who have either been accepted, or are currently enrolled in the MSW program. 

Apply Now

Minor declaration form and graduate certificate application

Minor in Child Welfare

This declaration form is only for undergraduate students

Apply Now

Graduate certificate

This certificate is open to any graduate-level Western Michigan University student interested in a career in Child Welfare. Applicants must either be:

  • Recently accepted to the Graduate College or 
  • Are currently enrolled in a graduate program within Western Michigan University 
Apply Now