Child welfare workers perform challenging jobs. Whether a worker is investigating allegations of abuse or neglect, providing ongoing services to families whose children have been placed in foster care or are at risk of being removed from the home, or locating adoptive homes, every child and every family demands considerable time and attention if they are to be helped.
Several factors make comparisons between different agencies difficult.
In addition, some agencies measure caseloads in families per worker, while others measure caseloads based on the number of children per worker. Finally, it is important to remember that caseloads do not always accurately reflect workload, as some cases invariably are more complex and require more time than others. Family preservation workers provide particularly intensive services to families for a limited duration of time in an effort to help the family get back on its feet and stay together. However, it should be noted, different agencies define family preservation services more loosely than others. The figures assume each worker carries only one type of caseload.