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2003
 The Unsolved
Challenge of System Reform: The Condition of the Frontline Human
Service Workforce
Frontline
social services workers are the heart and soul of our nations
publicly funded human services
system. Conservatively estimated at about 3 million, these workers
have a tremendous impact on the life
chances of vulnerable children and families. This vital role
prompted Casey Foundation staff to conduct an in-depth exploration
of job conditions on the frontlines
for workers in the following sectors: child welfare, child care,
juvenile justice, youth services, and
employment and training. Our research led us to define eight
key factors that by general agreement pose
the greatest challenge to this workforce:
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Nonprofit,
government, and for-profit employers cannot find sufficient
numbers of quality staff
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When
they do, too many of those workers do not stay
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Workers
are paid less than those in other jobs at comparable levels
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There
is limited opportunity for professional growth and advancement
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Workers
receive poor supervision, and little guidance or support
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Rule-bound
jobs leave little latitude for discretion and drive out the
most entrepreneurial workers
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The
education and training these workers receive do not match the
roles and demands actually
encountered on the job
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Workers
are paid less than those in other jobs that require comparable
skills
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