Child welfare casework constitutes an emotionally intensive field with a high caseload. The attrition rate among caseworkers within the United States has been a longstanding issue, with national estimates suggesting an average turnover rate of approximately 30% (Casey Family Programs, 2023). Elevated turnover rates not only compromise the operational stability of child welfare agencies but also undermine the quality and consistency of essential services provided to children and families (Casey Family Programs, 2023; Edwards & Wildeman, 2018). In early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic compelled both public and private sector organizations across the United States to shutter their offices, prioritizing the health and safety of workers and the broader community. This sudden transition posed significant challenges for direct service providers, particularly in education and child welfare. Child welfare agencies, which wrestle with an average of 4.3 million referrals related to abuse and neglect annually (Sciamanna, 2020), faced an array of unprecedented obstacles during the COVID-19 pandemic. Core functions such as home visits and safety assessments were disrupted, as both clients and human services providers reported heightened stressors and difficulties in carrying out these essential duties. (Barello et al.,2020b; Lawson et al.,2020).These escalating workplace stressors have been linked to a decline in employees' organizational commitment and retention (Griffiths et al., 2020; Johnco et al., 2014). It is essential to delineate the specific stressors that have intensified during the pandemic and to examine a potential association with turnover intentions. Such insights could inform targeted policy interventions to reduce turnover rates, thereby stabilizing the workforce and strengthening child welfare services' capacity to effectively support populations that are vulnerable.
The e child protection systems in Germany and Canada are discussed in this article. Both countries have developed child protection frameworks aimed at ensuring children's well-being. The specific details of these frameworks are shaped by the countries' respective historical and societal contexts. Th e article examines how legal frameworks ensure the protection of children and youth and highlights the differences in approach. Particular attention will be paid to analyzing the different protection structures in Germany and Canada, taking into account how historical, cultural, and legal contexts shape child protection mechanisms in each country.
The North Carolina Regional Abuse and Medical Specialist (RAMS) program is the first proactive supervisory consulta-tion program prioritizing child safety and improved interdis-ciplinary communication. Th is study describes the program and staff experiences. From July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, RAMS completed 930 consultations pri-marily involving young children, injuries, and reports from medi-cal professionals. Staff increased their knowledge of child abuseevaluations and collaborating with medical professionals, despite challenges like county inconsistencies and concern for state oversight, showing promise as a state-level case consultation program.
Youth aff ected by parental sep-aration, homelessness, or unac-companied minor status are at risk for complex trauma. This study evaluates trauma-informed, arts-based programming for 214 youth, examining changes in self-concept and agency using latent change modeling. Results show that the program promotes psychological protective factors, especially for youth who felt emotionally and physically safe. Findings support the value of trauma-informed arts programs in pro-moting resilience and healing among youth facing adversity.
