About the Title IV-E Child Welfare Fellowship
Since 1992, CASCW has been administering the Title IV-E Child Welfare Fellowship to MSW students who are committed to working in public or tribal child welfare. Today we have nearly 400 alumni of the program working in a variety of practice and leadership positions in public and tribal child welfare, both in Minnesota and nationwide.
A Specialized Experience
A typical full-program MSW student in the Title IV-E Child Welfare Fellowship Program completes 1,193 hours of child welfare-specific training and education during the two-year program. This breaks down as follows:
Child Welfare Coursework
168 Hrs
Child Welfare Practicum Experience
985 hours
Specialized Training
45 hours
Primary Elements of the Program
New MSW Applicants apply for the fellowship through the general MSW Admissions process. The process outlined below is for RETURNING MSW STUDENTS ONLY. If you have questions please email Kate Walthour.
For returning MSW students who are applying for the Fellowship for the first time for the 2024-2025 academic year:
Email the following three elements to Kate Walthour by February 16 at 10 p.m.
- Complete the 2024-2025 Title IV-E New Application for Current MSW Students.
- Resume
- Please watch the Realistic Job Preview of Minnesota. This video was designed to give people considering a career in child welfare an accurate depiction of the day to day work. Once you have reviewed the video, please respond to the following five questions (divided into two parts) in one two- to four-page essay (1000 words or less):
- Part 1: Responses to Realistic Job Preview
- Based on your experience or what you observed in the Realistic Job Preview video, when you envision yourself doing the work of child protection or foster care, what aspects are most attractive to you?
- Based on your experience or what you observed in the Realistic Job Preview video, when you envision yourself doing the work of child protection or foster care, what aspects do you think would be most difficult for you?
- Part 2: More about Yourself
- Discuss your interest in, and commitment to, working in public or tribal child welfare services. What brought you to believe that work in child protection and foster care is a good fit for you? Include examples of past experiences working with children and/or parents in, or at-risk of entering, the child welfare system. If you do not have such experience, please explain your motivation for working with these families.
- Describe your commitment to culturally responsive social work, particularly with persons disproportionately represented in child welfare services. Illustrate this commitment with examples of your own experience.
- Describe your short-term and long-term professional goals and how you see MSW-level training in child welfare assisting you in achieving these goals.
- Part 1: Responses to Realistic Job Preview