Why Well-Supported Caseworkers Will More Effectively Serve Children

When a child enters foster care, one of the first people they encounter is a caseworker. This single connection can make or break what happens next.

One impact study done in a local child welfare office in Milwaukee County found that children who had one consistent caseworker achieved permanency 74.5% of the time. But if that number increased to two caseworkers, permanency dropped to 17.5%—and when the number of caseworkers increased to six or even seven, the permanency rate was only 0.1%.

It’s clear that caseworkers play an instrumental role in the outcomes a child in foster care will experience. And yet, caseworker burnout is all too common.

Everyone wants to see children and families in foster care thrive, but consideration for caseworkers is often left out of this equation. What if we shifted our perspective and took the time to invest in these critical roles so that caseworkers can better support the people they serve?

Why Caseworker Turnover is So High

With such staggering statistics for the positive impact a consistent caseworker can have, it would seem to be a rewarding career.

However, this work is often overwhelming, and caseworkers struggle with issues like:

• Overwhelming caseloads
• Compassion fatigue
• Burnout
• Secondary traumatic stress
• Depression

Caseworkers are often trying so hard to fulfill the needs of the families they serve that they can neglect their own needs. As a result, caseworkers have to keep running on a tank that’s completely empty.

These challenges result in high turnover for this profession. Unfortunately, caseworkers are leaving their roles after an average of only 2.5 years.

LISTEN | Episode 208: The Impact of Secondary Trauma on Social Workers (w/ Blake Boyer)

The truth is, caseworkers are the first responders of the foster care community. They are often thrown right into the middle of messy situations, where they are likely to receive the brunt of the backlash from disgruntled parties on both sides of a placement.

When things go wrong, they are often the person at whom the finger of blame gets pointed—even when they are trying their best to make a tough situation better. Yet when things go right, they don’t receive much praise or recognition, as people may shrug their accomplishments off as “just part of their job”.

As one of our TFI Advocates put it, caseworkers end up feeling invisible at best and villainized at worst.

The bottom line is that caseworkers are under-resourced and overburdened. And the struggles they’re facing don’t just have a negative impact on them—these problems directly impact biological families and children in foster care, too.

What This Means for Children in Foster Care

Caseworker burnout and turnover have devastating effects on children in foster care. These factors contribute to:

• Increased time in foster care
• A higher risk of placement disruptions
• A decreased chance of permanency

When caseworkers are well-supported, they can serve as a pillar of stability for a child who feels adrift. Much like an adult on an airplane must put on their own oxygen mask before assisting a child, a caseworker can’t effectively support a child if they’re still struggling themselves.

When Caseworkers are Supported, Everyone Benefits

We envision the day when caseworkers remain and thrive in their roles because every single one of these foster care professionals is supported by local churches who are faithfully reflecting the redemptive love of Christ.

As a result, what if we could help thousands of children in foster care? This may seem like a pretty lofty goal for just one or even a few people to achieve. However, our team here at The Forgotten Initiative has seen this become a reality!⁠

In 2023, 57 volunteer TFI Advocates helped 277 churches support 82 agencies. This means that over 2,700 workers had an Advocate who was ready and waiting to answer their call for help as they served a total of 14,000 children!⁠
⁠
You see, we believe that when we strategically help a few key people, our efforts can multiply and help thousands.

To amplify their impact, caseworkers need a community to lean on. This can take many forms, such as:

• A friend to call after they’ve witnessed some of the worst conditions imaginable
• Someone they can ask for help to make sure a child’s birthday does not go uncelebrated
• A caring church that wants to do everything in its power to support a struggling family

When caseworkers have this kind of support, they will no longer be working out of a place of survival. They will be able to go above and beyond rather than barely scraping by.

READ | Advocates in Action: An Unforgettable Birthday

When we can rally this kind of support behind caseworkers, the message will be loud and clear to both them and the children and families they work with every day – You are not alone.

What We Can Do to Help

Right in your community, agency workers are providing critical care for foster parents, vulnerable adults, and children. They face unique challenges every day—endless paperwork, emotional exhaustion, and a lack of resources just to name a few.

While they may be in danger of burnout, there is something we can do about it. Individuals can lend a helping hand and lighten the load that caseworkers carry on a daily basis. And churches can play a vital role in offering these professionals the support they desperately need.⁠

This is why we want to help local church leaders be “salt” and “light” (Matthew 5:13-16) by providing tangible, emotional, and spiritual support to caseworkers in their communities. One of the ways we do this is through our TFI Advocate role.

Individuals in this role offer the support caseworkers need as they step into the lives of others. Our Advocates bridge the gap between church leaders and agency workers so that needs can be met, hope can be felt, and lives can be changed.

READ | 17 Stories of People Making a Difference That You Need to Hear

Become a TFI Advocate to Support Local Caseworkers

The Forgotten Initiative exists to help churches support foster care agencies across America. 

The primary way we do this is through the TFI Advocate role. From now until the end of November, applications are open to fill this vital role in your community!

We would love to welcome you to our team as we continue to work to alleviate the burden that is placed on caseworkers—a burden that trickles down to affect the entire foster care community. If you want to be a beacon of hope in the life of your local caseworkers and see your advocacy make a real impact on vulnerable children and families, we’d be honored to have you. 

If you’re ready to step up, there’s still time to enter this round of TFI Advocate applications.