Title IV-E Child Welfare Training Program

The School of Social Work at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, in conjunction with the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services offers individualized, specialized training in child welfare through a funded contract via the Title IV-E of the Social Security Act. This contract enables qualified BSW or MSW students to build and enhance professional skills in foster care management, adoption assistance and case management. Students also receive comprehensive field practicums in Texas.

Child welfare social work interns, after intensive training, deal with children and their families, courts, law enforcement, medical institutions and schools, all in the context of public child welfare and family policy.

These student interns perform a myriad of tasks in complex family situations, including:

• Assessing child well-being and safety
• Preparing and delivering court documents and testimony
• Providing case management services
• Referring clients to needed resources
• Developing and monitoring foster care and adoptive placements
• Training foster families and adoptive families
• Organizing communities to create healthier environments for children
• Planning and advocating for effective child welfare policies and programs