The Child Welfare Fellowship Program (also known as Title IV-E) is a paid internship opportunity that also provides specialized training, coursework, and support to students interested in pursuing a career helping families and children across the state of Maryland. Child Welfare Fellows are placed in a variety of internship sites across the state, including but not limited to Local Departments of Social Services, Family Connections Baltimore (within the Center for Restorative Change), and Social Services Administration.
The internship sites offer a range of experiential opportunities for both clinical and macro students in areas like family preservation services, foster care, policy work, and so much more. Child Welfare Fellows are supported while pursuing their MSW degree with a financial stipend of $10,000 per year and welcomed into a cohort of students receiving clinical and/or macro training and coursework geared towards engagement and intervention with vulnerable families and children through an anti-racist and anti-oppressive lens. The Child Welfare Fellowship Program is known for providing specialized training around trauma responsive interventions, Motivational Interviewing, and offering reflection space around utilizing the SHARP Framework.
Following graduation, Child Welfare Fellows are also guaranteed employment at a Maryland Local Department of Social Services with excellent benefits packages, generous paid leave time, and competitive salaries starting at $70,000 for Licensed Social Workers. For those interested in employment specifically in Baltimore City after graduation, there are additional stipends within the Child Welfare Fellowship Program available in the amount of $5,000 (totaling to $15,000 per year).
The Child Welfare Fellowship Program is looking for students who are critical thinkers and interested in being part of an innovative time in Child Welfare system transformation. Please contact cmeringolo@ssw.umaryland.edu or jessica.gauthier@ssw.umaryland.edu if you are interested in learning more.
There are virtual office hours/information sessions every Monday* until the Fellowship application closes (11:59pm on March 15, 2024) via Zoom at: https://umaryland.zoom.us/j/94944829474
* office hours will not be held while school is closed for winter break.
If you are interested in applying, please scroll down to the Title IV-E Education for Public Child Welfare Program: https://www.ssw.umaryland.edu/admissions/msw-admissions/scholarships--fellowships/?&