Department of Social Work

Overview of the Center for Regional and Tribal Child Welfare Studies

The Mission of the University of Minnesota Duluth's Center for Regional and Tribal Child Welfare Studies is to advance the well-being of children by strengthening families and communities through social work education, research, and outreach in the region.

The Center provides program coordination for all activities of the Department of Social Work that involves child welfare studies and provides financial administration and oversight for all child welfare grants.

Center Priorities:

• Developing advanced generalist social workers who are prepared to meet the needs of at risk children and their families while working with county and tribal agencies in the region
• Preparing social work practitioners who are committed to racial and social justice, as embodied through the concepts of cultural competence
• Promoting best practices in child welfare, including strength-based practice and program development to address unmet needs
• Addressing the special needs of providing child welfare services in rural areas
• Developing collaborative partnerships with and among other public, private, and tribal agencies/organizations to strengthen the region’s ability to promote the well-being of children by developing healthy families and communities
• Conducting research and evaluation that promote the well-being of all children and their families
• Engaging in teaching, research, and outreach activities that prevent child maltreatment

Funding for the Center if provided by the following sources:

• Title IV-E child welfare training funds administered through the MN Department of Human Services
• Children's Bureau Grant for American Indian Projects Family Preservation Grant
  Children's Bureau Grant, Child Welfare Curriculum and Field Enhancement, (CW CAFE)
• Private Foundations such as the Otto Bremer Foundation

Title IV-E Child Welfare Education Program

The Title IV-E Child Welfare Education Program funds the majority of the Child Welfare Scholars Program.

The Mission of University of Minnesota Duluth's Title IV-E Child Welfare Education Program is to promote the development of advanced generalist social workers, practitioners, and leaders who are committed to pursuing culturally competent practice as they serve at-risk children and their families through county and tribal agencies, focusing on Northern Minnesota.

Title IV-E Child Welfare Education Program Priorities:

• Developing advanced generalist social workers who are prepared to meet the needs of at risk children and their families while working with county and tribal agencies in Northern Minnesota
• Preparing child welfare practitioners who are committed to pursuing culturally competent practice
• Promoting best practices in child welfare, including strength-based practice and program development to address unmet needs
• Addressing the special needs of providing child welfare services in rural areas
• Developing collaborative partnerships with and among other public, private, and tribal agencies/organizations to strengthen students’ ability to promote the well-being of at-risk children and their families
• Supporting students of color in completing their MSW degrees and successfully integrating into the child welfare system
• Developing digital and online resources that further the mission of the Title IV-E Child Welfare Education Project

Child Welfare Scholars Program

The goals of the child welfare scholars program are to:

• Reach out to practitioners in county and tribal child welfare agencies; recruti them to return to school and obtain an MSW.
• Encourage others entering the MSW program to commit to beginning a career in public or tribal child welfare.
• Encourage and support American Indians and other people of color to obtain their MSW and to pursue a career int child welfare.

The program achieves these goals by:

• Selecting qualified students who are committed to pursuing a career in public child welfare.
• Providing up to a $10,000 annual stipend that can be applied towards expenses incurred during their MSW education.
• Providing specialized curriculum and coursework in Child Welfare.
• Providing professional development opportunities through workshops and conferences.
• Facilitating opportunities to develop cultural competence.

Child Welfare Scholar Obligations

Students must be recommended for admission to the MSW program at UMD before they can apply to the Child Welfare Scholars Program. If they are accepted to the Scholars Program and receive a financial stipend, scholars are bound to the following:

• After graduation, scholars must seek and accept employment in a public child welfare setting for a period of time equivalent to the months they received a stipend.
• Scholars must do at least one field placement in a qualifying public or tribal child welfare setting.
• Scholars must complete curriculum requirements specific to child welfare practice.
• Child Welfare Scholars must meet specific child welfare requirements in their MSW ePortfolio.
• Scholars must provide the Center with documentation of their job search and service.
• Scholars must complete MSW degree and employment search obligations or they must repay the amount of money received from stipends.

Child Welfare Scholar Information Brochure

For further information about the Child Welfare Scholars Program contact:

Muskadee Montano , M.S.W. UMD Child Welfare Scholar Coordinator
218-726-7497, mmontano@d.umn.edu

Johan Day, M.S.W., Acting Director of American Indian Projects
218-726-7971, jday@d.umn.edu