The Child Welfare Fellowship (CWF) is excited to welcome our 2026–2027 cohort of 47 students as they begin another year of learning, connection, and preparation for careers in public child welfare!🎉
In August, CW Fellows came together for our two-day CWF Welcome & Kick-Off event, designed to build community while giving students opportunities to learn from practitioners, community partners, and one another. Highlights included:
- Authentic partnership and teaming: Fellows explored approaches to partnering with children and families, including learning directly from community and child welfare partners from Social Services Administration and Fathers Forward LLC.
- Hands-on clinical skill development: Advanced Fellows practiced using play therapy, sand tray therapy, and books as tools for engagement, while Foundation and BSW Fellows examined public child welfare through a critical framework and practiced clinical engagement skills.
- Specialized substance use training: Advanced Fellows explored the intersection of substance use disorder and child welfare through a panel of subject matter experts and completed Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) training with the Opioid Response Network.
Since then, Fellows have been settling into practicum placements across Maryland, where they are beginning to connect their training and classroom learning with hands-on experiences alongside children, youth, families, and public child welfare professionals.
We are excited to support our Fellows throughout the year as they strengthen their skills, deepen their understanding of public child welfare practice, and grow as future members of Maryland’s child welfare workforce. Please join us in welcoming and celebrating the 2026–2027 Child Welfare Fellowship cohort!
To learn more about the Child Welfare Fellowship (CWF), please visit the CWF website and use the following Zoom link to register for virtual office hours with a CWF faculty member, which are held year-round every Monday, (except during holidays & school closures), from 12-1pm: CWF Virtual Office Hours Registration
Applications for the 2027-2028 Child Welfare Fellowship (CWF) cohort are anticipated to open by November 2026, with the priority deadline of 11:59 p.m. on January 15, 2027. Applications received after the priority deadline may be reviewed on a rolling basis, as fellowship placements remain available.