Evaluation and Research

Evaluation and research have been integral to CalSWEC since its inception, particularly as they relate to improving California’s child welfare social work practice.

CalSWEC’s ongoing evaluation efforts, aligned with its Mission and Goals, were developed to assess the impact of its training on California’s child welfare workforce.

CalSWEC’s longitudinal Ecological Model for Workforce Development (see figure below) has guided evaluation activity for its child welfare workforce development segment since 2014.

It includes evaluation of the Title IV-E Stipend Program and the Child Welfare In-Service Training Program.

CalSWEC's ecological model for Workforce Development

The model attempts to delineate the contributions of education, in-service training, and organizational supports, among such other factors as student and worker characteristics, to guide the understanding of the effectiveness of the child welfare social work workforce in providing high-quality service to children and families.