Social workers and child welfare : perceptions and factors of career trajectory after graduation / by Abigail Ann Wilson.

Public child welfare agencies struggle to recruit and retain staff even with numerous schools of social work programs that educate students to work in public child welfare. The purpose of this study is to track the factors related to career trajectory and perceptions of recent Master of Social Work graduates after their education and specialization in child welfare. The qualitative, phenomenological study focuses on the decision-making process in the job search as well as what or who influenced that decision. Findings suggest changes to public child welfare as well as schools of social work.