What Is a Foster Care Social Worker and How to Become One

Foster care social workers help children in the foster care system deal with behavioral and emotional issues. Often, foster children have been abused, neglected, or mistreated, and the courts have removed them from their parents. Their pasts often lead to feelings of extreme sadness, anger, resentment, and abandonment. As a foster care social worker, you work for a foster care agency to place these kids in foster homes. You are ultimately responsible for the well-being of the child, so you will do extensive background checks on prospective foster parents to ensure they will provide a caring home for their foster child. Once a child is placed in a home, you make follow up visits regularly, checking for suitable living conditions, proper nourishment, and making sure the foster parents have the support they need. For cases where the biological parents may regain custody, you also update the parents with current information on their child and monitor the parents’ progress meeting the requirements given to get their children back.

While a bachelor’s degree in social work, psychology, or a related field enables you to get an entry-level position at a foster care agency, you need a master’s degree to become a licensed social worker and for clinical and supervisory positions. Research your state’s qualifications for social workers and the tests you need to pass to become licensed. Gain experience working with children by volunteering at a daycare center or other facility that cares for kids. Foster care social workers are organized, patient, and compassionate. They have a strong desire to help foster kids overcome their feelings of abandonment and find loving foster homes.