{"id":35860,"date":"2025-11-12T09:40:51","date_gmt":"2025-11-12T17:40:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.casey.org\/?p=32287"},"modified":"2026-07-20T17:31:19","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T17:31:19","slug":"estrategias-de-fuerza-laboral-hamilton","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.casey.org\/es\/workforce-strategies-hamilton\/","title":{"rendered":"\u00bfC\u00f3mo ha reducido el condado de Hamilton, Ohio, las vacantes de personal dedicado al bienestar infantil?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Turnover is a significant challenge in child welfare agencies, especially among new employees,1<\/sup><\/a>,<\/sup>2<\/sup><\/a> and it became an even greater problem after the COVID-19 pandemic.3<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0Many agencies saw an uptick in vacancies, and a 2022 report<\/a> by the Child Welfare League of America referred to the child welfare workforce as \u201cin crisis.\u201d That same year, the Quality Improvement Center for Workforce Development and the National Child Welfare Workforce Institute <\/a>convened leaders from 29 states to discuss concerns and found that recruiting new workers, extreme levels of stress among the workforce, and the impact of the \u201cgreat resignation,\u201d were common challenges in child welfare agencies.<\/p>\n

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The Children\u2019s Services division in Hamilton County, Ohio, <\/strong>home to Cincinnati, also experienced these issues, struggling with a vacancy rate of 40% to 50% following the pandemic. By addressing many aspects of the employee lifecycle and implementing a range of strategies starting in 2023, the division reduced its vacancy rate for caseworkers to 17% by May 2025.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n \n \n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Knowing high vacancies were a challenge nationally, we tried to position ourselves as learners as much as teachers and doers. If something out there seems like a good practice, we\u2019re going to try it. But we want to test it and quickly find out if it is having an impact and move on \u2014 either build on it or abandon it.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

— Margie Weaver, Director, Hamilton County Children\u2019s Services<\/cite><\/figcaption>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n
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Children\u2019s Services, a division of Hamilton County Job & Family Services, has about 400 employees working in adoption, foster care, kinship care, and child protection, and providing family resources. The agency served more than 6,000 families and 14,000 children in 2024.4<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0To address high staff turnover, Children\u2019s Services gathered information from other jurisdictions to learn about various recruitment and retention approaches, and then tried, tested, and revised the strategies. Staff input influenced the agency\u2019s decisions about whether to continue various strategies. The division then developed a strategic plan to incorporate promising workforce development, systems, practice, and community relations initiatives.5<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n \n \n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Revamping staff recruitment<\/h2>\n \n \n \n

Improving staff recruitment involved modernizing many processes, including updating job postings, making use of more online recruitment tools, and expanding university partnerships beyond the traditional linkage to schools of social work.<\/p>\n

Job postings.<\/strong> Until recently, Hamilton County had a passive recruitment process limited to a standardized county online job posting, with no active outreach to draw potential candidates into opportunities within Children\u2019s Services specifically. Melisa Henry, a child welfare manager with a background in human resources, worked closely with Hamilton County\u2019s human resources division and communications team to revise job postings and develop an active recruiting strategy specific to Children\u2019s Services. Revised job postings speak explicitly to desired skills such as critical thinking and personal traits like having a big heart and being open-minded.<\/p>\n

Outreach strategies.<\/strong> Children\u2019s Services now uses several digital sites to recruit job candidates, including Handshake (a site tailored to college students seeking jobs), ZipRecruiter, Indeed, Google Ads, and TikTok videos. An external consultant helped the agency engage in more targeted digital recruiting to appeal to younger candidates and those who may not already be on track to seek a job with the county.<\/p>\n

University partnerships.<\/strong> Like many child protection agencies, Hamilton County Children\u2019s Services has partnered with local colleges and universities to recruit social work students. The division has expanded its reach by participating in college fairs beyond schools of social work, and is part of a state-led fellowship program that also reaches students earning degrees outside of social work. The division expanded its recruitment efforts to other fields of study following the results of a 2024 internal analysis of new staff hires, which found that about 40% were traditional social work students and 37% came from other degree fields, and that within the first year of employment, 24% of social work students and 27% of non-social-work hires had left their positions. This suggested educational background of new hires did not substantially influence retention, which was contrary to what the agency always had believed. Hamilton County also began offering paid internships and fellowships, making Children\u2019s Services a more attractive employer for students. One of the goals going forward is to increase the number of interns who become staff.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n \n \n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Supporting job candidates<\/h2>\n \n \n \n

Hamilton County Children\u2019s Services examined the way it evaluated and moved candidates through the hiring process. Revamped efforts focus on more active engagement with candidates, making the hiring process more transparent and creating group-based hiring events.<\/p>\n

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Candidate care<\/strong>. Children\u2019s Services created a \u201ccandidate care\u201d team to support job candidates as soon as they are scheduled for an interview. The team was created in response to the long duration of the hiring process and a desire to set a caring tone and environment for those interacting with the agency. Candidate care continues for six to eight weeks until the candidate is hired or exits the hiring process. The team proactively engages job candidates to inform them about the job, the agency, and the interview process. Staff meet candidates at the front door when they come in for an interview to make them feel welcome. Children\u2019s Services also revamped the interview experience to make it more interactive, with candidates engaging as a group to build relationships and cohesion.<\/p>\n

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Hiring events<\/strong>. Candidates now begin the interview process by attending group hiring events, in contrast to the previous individual process. They tour the building as a group and participate in a Virtual Reality exercise that shows a candidate what it is like to work for Children\u2019s Services. Some candidates complete that experience and realize that the job is not a good fit for them. This exercise also has helped leadership better understand what the job entails.<\/p>\n

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Individual candidates then participate in a four-person panel interview. Group hiring events have made it easier for division staff to take part in the interview panels because they are scheduled in advance. After the interview, candidates retire to a waiting room where they can talk with other candidates while their interview results are scored. A background check is then performed on the candidates whose scores meet the agency threshold.<\/p>\n

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These process changes decreased the amount of time between interview and hiring, a positive development for both candidates and the agency. Preliminary internal feedback suggests the revamped process is attracting quality candidates.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n \n \n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Closing gaps in the new-hire experience<\/h2>\n \n \n \n

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Hamilton County Children\u2019s Services implemented a new approach to onboarding that builds on the relationship-building culture established in the group-based hiring process. The leadership team spent time gathering feedback through town halls and meetings with different levels of staff, from caseworkers to section chiefs, to inform the changes.<\/p>\n

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Orientation<\/strong>. The division rolled out an orientation process \u2014 specific to Children\u2019s Services \u2014 that covers role-related topics, such as safety and professionalism. This orientation is in addition to the countywide onboarding process that covers topics relevant to all county employees, such as benefits. The division-specific onboarding was created to address gaps that current staff identified and demonstrate support for new workers.<\/p>\n

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First-year cohort<\/strong>. The \u201cfirst-year cohort\u201d program, which began in 2025, has transformed the new-hire experience with an increased emphasis on building community. The cohort participates in a 12-week training designed to address knowledge gaps that leadership has identified as well as other topics important for new hires such as self-care and work-life balance. New hires get their first cases in the last two weeks of the 12-week training and receive one-on-one coaching from a safety culture advisor, who is a member of the training team.<\/p>\n

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Coaching<\/strong>. The safety culture advisor provides hands-on coaching as the new hire conducts risk assessments, home visits, and completes documentation. At the end of the coaching period, the worker is handed off to the assigned supervisor. Supervisors subsequently can request additional coaching in areas where their new employee may still need to build skills. The first-year cohort has opportunities to reconvene monthly to network, collaborate, and engage in additional training. New hires also attend the mandated 106-hour core state training delivered by regional training centers.<\/p>\n

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County leadership examined human resources data from 2024 and 2025 to compare short-term performance outcomes among new hires. Findings show that new hires were more likely to keep working at the agency and that they were also meeting performance standards. External stakeholders, such as prosecutors and the courts, reported that the 2025 new hires have been more prepared and are doing higher quality documentation compared to previous cohorts. Early feedback from new hires themselves also is promising.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n \n \n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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We\u2019re trying to change that mindset of coaching being seen as punishment, to being seen as more supportive, like, \u2018We want to give you everything we can so that you can be successful.\u2019 So we are working on that.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

— Melisa Henry, Project Lead, Hamilton County Children\u2019s Services<\/cite><\/figcaption>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n
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Addressing salary and benefits<\/h2>\n \n \n \n

Data from the National Association of Social Workers <\/a>indicates that the average salary for child welfare social workers has been steadily increasing over the past 10 years, with higher rates of growth since 2022. Research shows that pay itself is only modestly associated with turnover, but pay satisfaction (or how an employees feel about their pay) is moderately associated with job satisfaction and organizational commitment, two factors that are important to employee retention.6<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

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Increasing wages<\/strong>. Children\u2019s Services knew from employee feedback that pay was an important factor in recruiting and retaining its workforce. The division reviewed pay for client-facing staff, especially in positions with the highest turnover, and engaged in a wage negotiation in 2024. As a result, employees who do after-hours and weekend work received a 25% increase and those who do ongoing work with families received a 20% increase in their pay. These raises were added to employees\u2019 base salary.<\/p>\n

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Bonuses<\/strong>. Hamilton County created hiring and retention bonuses when a post-pandemic, time-limited special fund was active. Children\u2019s Services incentivized candidates who joined the agency and stayed for 90 days and, then again, for 365 days. The incentives were instituted in response to data indicating a high departure rate in the first year of employment. The bonuses resulted in a 14% increase in employees staying in their jobs longer. The fund expired, however, and bonuses are no longer given, although future retention and referral bonuses have been proposed in 2025.<\/p>\n

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Hybrid work<\/strong>. Hybrid work began during the pandemic and was formalized in policy to encourage retention of workers. It is continuing in part due to limited office space. The opportunity to work remotely is considered a privilege and employees are not eligible for this benefit until they have been in their job for at least six months. This benefit appeals to many candidates but leadership found that in order to manage expectations, new hires needed to be reminded that the benefit doesn\u2019t apply right away.<\/p>\n

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Current managers and leaders believe that bonuses and wage adjustments were important, but that they would not have improved the vacancy rate without the additional workforce supports implemented at the same time.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n \n \n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Expanding support to increase retention<\/h2>\n \n \n \n

All Children\u2019s Services staff have access to a variety of supports to enhance their well-being. Research consistently has found that child welfare workers experience trauma as an occupational hazard.7<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0This can have negative consequences for individual workers and the agency as a whole. Secondary traumatic stress can contribute to decreased job satisfaction and leaving the job.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n \n \n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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To enhance caseworker well-being, we embedded a team of licensed, master\u2019s-degree-level clinicians who are certified in trauma-responsive care, behavioral health, and resilience-building techniques. The team provides psycho-educational groups, trauma assessment and individual and case-specific consultation.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

— Nina Lewis, Multi-Systems Director, Hamilton County Job & Family Services<\/cite><\/figcaption>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n
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Managing stress<\/strong>. Children\u2019s Services staff have free access to an app designed to help users manage stress, sleep, and improve overall well-being; around-the-clock mental health support through their employee assistance program; and access to an on-site behavioral health consultant. New and existing staff also have access to Resilience Alliance<\/a> (RA) groups that build peer support and teach a range of stress-management techniques. This strategy was implemented as part of Coach Ohio<\/a>, an intervention that also includes supportive supervision and coaching strategies.<\/p>\n

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Supporting supervisors<\/strong>. Supervisors are important to the retention of caseworkers, but supervisors also benefit from having their own peer support. The Coach Ohio intervention had supervisor-specific RA groups and introduced supportive supervision training focused on how to work with a team, manage staff, and improve communication. In 2025, all managers also began participating in trauma-informed supervision training. Supervisors who volunteer to manage interns are incentivized with a $600 stipend to acknowledge the extra work.<\/p>\n

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Professional development<\/strong>. Hamilton County Children\u2019s Services encourages staff to apply for and maintain their licenses, or work toward a master\u2019s degree in social work (MSW). Stipends are available to offset the costs of maintaining a license and tuition reimbursement is offered to those pursuing an advanced degree. Children\u2019s Services also encourages those pursuing an MSW to create and participate in study groups so that colleagues can work toward their degree with support from their peers.<\/p>\n

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Through a variety of workforce strategies, Hamilton County Children\u2019s Service has created a collaborative and supportive organizational culture. The division has been working several years to improve how potential job candidates learn about jobs within the division and what they experience in those positions. These strategies were influenced through extensive input from all levels of the organization and continuous staff feedback has been instrumental in guiding management decisions about which strategies to continue or discontinue. This collection of strategies, although relatively new, is showing positive short-term outcomes for the child welfare workforce.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n \n \n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Casey Family Programs consults with individuals and teams across the country to compile research, experiences, and insights about approaches that can safely reduce the need for foster care and ensure the well-being of children and families. We share this information broadly to help child welfare leaders and their partners tackle similar issues in their own communities. For questions about this resource, or if you have other child welfare information needs, please email kmresources@casey.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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1 Paul, M., Harrison, C., Litt, J., and Graef, M., (2022) “Worker Turnover is a Persistent Child Welfare Challenge–So is Measuring It.”\u00a0 Quality Improvement Center for Workforce Development QIC-Take.<\/p>\n

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2 Phillips, J. D., Lizano, E. L., He, A. S., & Leake, R. (2020). Factors associated with caseworker burnout in child welfare: Does tenure matter?. Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research, 11(2), 261-283.<\/p>\n

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3 Quality Improvement Center for Workforce Development. (2021) \u201cSupporting the Child Welfare Workforce During the Coronavirus Pandemic: Addressing Worker Stress and Trauma\u201d Blog Post<\/a><\/p>\n

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4 Hamilton County Job & Family Services 2024 Annual Report<\/a><\/p>\n

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5 The content of this brief was informed through interviews with staff of Hamilton County Job & Family Services: Margie Weaver, Director, Children\u2019s Services, on July 15, 2025; Nina Lewis, Multi-Systems Director, Office of Systems, Partnerships & Community Solutions; Melisa Henry, Project Lead, Children\u2019s Services; and Gaja Karyala, Director of Educational Programs, Children\u2019s Services, on June 16, 2025.<\/p>\n

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6 Paul, M. (2022). Umbrella summary: Compensation<\/a>. Quality Improvement Center for Workforce Development.<\/p>\n

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7 Barbee, A., Purdy, L., & Cunningham, M. (2023). Secondary traumatic stress: definitions, measures, predictors and interventions. Quality Improvement Center for Workforce Development.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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