Introduction
The child welfare system is designed to promote child safety, well-being, and permanency. To achieve this, the child welfare workforce is responsible for making decisions across the continuum of child welfare services (Hanna et al. 2021). However, high caseloads and frequent interactions with children and families who have experienced complex trauma can result in vicarious trauma and emotional burnout among the child welfare workforce (Kim et al. 2024; Molnar et al. 2020). Child welfare workers experience high levels of both physical and emotional exhaustion and stress as they work with children and families who go through trauma and crisis-related issues (He et al. 2018; Jonson-Reid et al. 2010). Demanding caseloads have detrimental effects on the well-being of child welfare workers, which can lead to job burnout, lower job satisfaction, and high turnover (Li et al. 2020; Park et al. 2024). Therefore, strengthening the capacity and preparedness of the child welfare workforce remains a critical priority.
In parallel, recent changes to federal and state policies have led to a changing profile of children and families involved in child welfare (Jenkins et al. 2025b). Some states, such as Texas, have seen an increase in mental health needs among youth in care, often creating challenges to find adequate placements (LaBrenz et al. 2024). At the national level, approximately 80% of children and youth in foster care have mental health issues (National Conference of State Legislatures 2019). The high prevalence of mental health issues highlights the substantial behavioral health needs among children and youth in foster care and underscores the importance of comprehensive assessment and service provision for youth in care. Therefore, it is essential to continue strengthening child welfare workforce through education, training, and professionalization, so child welfare workers are prepared to understand and serve children and families with complex needs.
Title IV-E Child Welfare Stipend Programs
Title IV-E Child Welfare Stipend Programs (aka “Title IV-E Programs”) were developed in 1980 to provide specialized training and professional development for the child welfare workforce. Funded by federal Title IV-E training funds, Title IV-E Programs consist of partnerships between state universities and child welfare agencies that provide financial assistance to current or prospective child welfare workers pursuing BSW or MSW (Child Welfare Information Gateway 2025, § 8.1H; 45 C.F.R. § 1356.60; Falk 2015). While the core mission of stipend programs is to strengthen the public child welfare workforce, the emphasis, design, and scope of these programs have significantly evolved over time. In 1980, Title IV-E Programs were originally created to support foster care and adoption assistance and to ensure a qualified workforce to carry out these programs, including pre-service and in-service education (Falk 2015). The focus of stipend programs has switched from recruitment and retention for public child welfare to professionalization and competency-based education. Meanwhile, the training content has broadened from the emphasis on child protection, case management, and compliance with federal mandates to competency-based coursework and supervised practice that build job readiness (Falk 2015).
Title IV-E Programs and Workforce Outcomes
A growing body of research has examined the relationship between Title IV-E Program participation and child welfare workforce outcomes. A recent scoping review examined the effects of stipend programs in the last decade and identified seven main domains that Title IV-E Program research has targeted: retention and intent to stay, workplace environment and supervision, preparedness for the job, diversity, equity, and inclusion, social work education, burnout and stress, and client outcomes (Jenkins et al. 2025a). In general, Title IV-E recipients have lower intent to leave and are more likely to remain employed (Barbee et al. 2018; Falk 2015; Madden et al. 2014; Trujillo et al. 2020; Slater et al. 2018). Protective factors identified by Title IV-E recipients that enhance their retention and intention to stay are better supervision, reduced caseloads, positive work climate, peer support, and professional development (Barbee et al. 2018; Benton 2016; Falk 2015; Trujillo et al. 2020). Supervisors who are Title IV-E recipients also recognized the need to help their workers with addressing secondary trauma (Hernandez-Mekonnen and Konrady 2017). In addition, Title IV-E recipients report feeling prepared to think critically and engage in clinical assessments, trauma-informed practice, and client understanding, while feeling unprepared to testify in court (Falk 2021; Greeno et al. 2017a; Slater et al. 2018).
However, the findings of the impact of Title IV-E Programs on the well-being of child welfare workers are inconsistent. Hermon et al. (2018) report that Title IV-E recipients still experienced higher stress and burnout despite having stronger commitment to child welfare. In parallel, few studies have connected the participation of Title IV-E Programs to client outcomes; LaBrenz et al. (2023) found that children from the states that had invested in Title IV-E Programs reunified faster than children in other states. In a follow-up study, LaBrenz et al. (2025) found that children in states that had invested in Title IV-E Programs spent fewer days in care on average than children in other states.