Job Satisfaction of Child Welfare Workers in an Urban Setting: Status and Predictors

• Published in: Journal of child and family studies Vol. 6; no. 2; pp. 209 - 219
• Main Authors: Sharma, Jennifer, McKelvey, Janet, Hardy, Ron, Epstein, Michael H, Lomax, Richard G, Hruby, Paula Jo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer Nature B.V 01.06.1997
• Subjects: Chicago, Illinois; Child Abuse; Child Neglect; Child protection; Child welfare; Child Welfare Services; Delinquency; Departments; Educational Psychology; Family (Sociological Unit); Global Approach; Job Satisfaction; Outreach Programs; Predictors; Resistance (Psychology); Social research; Social services; Social Work; Social Workers; Special Education; Supervision; Urban Areas; USA; White Collar Occupations; Work Environment
• ISSN: 1062-1024; 1573-2843
• DOI: 10.1023/A:1025002808629

Large urban areas present many challenges to those children and adults who reside in those settings. The social service workers in urban areas have clients with complex, multiple needs. Reliable and consistent workers are essential to successfully working with these families. In the current study, the job satisfaction of 29 social service workers in an urban child welfare agency was assessed using the Job Satisfaction Scale (JSS). The JSS measures satisfaction in 7 areas of one's job (i.e., work, supervision, coworkers, pay and promotion, work environment, training, and position). Data indicated that the staff were relatively satisfied, that satisfaction did not vary by staff position (family worker vs. social worker/supervisor), and that neither demographic factors nor prior experiences were predictors of job satisfaction. Implications for agency management and the provision of social services to urban families are discussed.