Title IV-E Multicultural Child Welfare Program

Children and their families are a critical component of all societies. Compassionate, competent, and committed child welfare professionals and supportive communities are needed to help children and families survive and thrive in a society that provides limited support.

Although a demanding profession, child welfare practice is important work that provides great rewards. Through the Title IV-E Stipend Program, undergraduate social work students are prepared to play a key role in the lives of children and families at risk of involvement with child protection, foster care, and adoption services. Students are engaged in education and preparation to work in Title IV-E eligible public child welfare agencies. This includes county child welfare programs and tribal social services.

• Participation in curriculum and training opportunities prepares students to meet the challenges of working in a public child welfare agency.
• Guidance is provided to students with a focus on academic and professional preparation for public child welfare practice.
• Students complete a practicum placement in a public child welfare agency.
• Stipends that cover social work course tuition are provided each semester a student participates in the stipend program while in good standing.
• Advanced employment readiness and marketability.
• The program promotes preparation for graduate social work education and additional Title IV-E grants programs.

• The program promotes recruitment and education for social work students at the undergraduate level in public child welfare careers.
• Students complete additional Minnesota Child Welfare Training System curriculum content and training to prepare for careers in public child welfare agencies.
• Students complete their senior practicum placement in a public child welfare setting.
• Counties are able to hire specific student graduates from participating Title IV-E schools.
• Graduates are committed to seeking and accepting employment in public child welfare programs and or tribal social services.
• No matching funds are required from public child welfare agencies to participate in this program.

• The program prepares students for generalist social work practice with client systems of various sizes and types with special emphasis on people of color and communities of color.
• This program builds on a Liberal Arts base and provides a foundation curriculum that contains the profession's values, knowledge, and skills.
• The program's mission concentrates on multicultural competence for generalist social work practice and aims to increase the capacity of:
  • Individuals and families to maintain their cultural identities and heritage;
  • Individuals and families to live and function successfully in two or more cultural environments;
  • Groups and communities to serve and nurture their members and to achieve a viable balance between community or group needs and available resources;
  • Organizations at all levels to continuously examine and modify their practices and procedures to ensure an equitable distribution of resources; and
  • Organizations to provide race, gender, and class-sensitive service.

• You must be enrolled at Metro State University.
• You must be accepted into the Social Work Program at Metro State University.
• You must maintain good academic standing in the Social Work Program.
• You must be interested in a career in public child welfare.
• You must be willing to participate in educational preparation to develop professional skills in public child welfare.
• You must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
• You must be willing to seek employment in a public child welfare agency for 4.5 months per semester of stipend support. (4.5 months for full-time and 2.25 months for part-time)