March 2003

The Brookings Institution

The Health of the Human Services Workforce

A nation that truly wants no child left behind must make sure that workers who care for children, youth, and families have the motivation, resources, and support to succeed.

At a minimum, this workforce numbers 2.5 million, of which two-thirds serve low-income children, youth, and families. As such, the human services workforce, as low-income serving workers will be called in this report, is almost as large as the federal governments civilian workforce.

These workers are a linchpin in honoring Americas promise to help its most vulnerable citizens. They provide childcare for low-income working parents, run the after-school programs that help build self-esteem, protect children from neglect, provide alternatives for troubled juveniles, and guide the journey for low-income families from welfare to work.

As such, human services workers are Americas other first responders. They often answer the first call for help from Americas most vulnerable citizens, and must make some of the most difficult choices in society. They decide whether preschoolers will spend their days watching cartoons or learning, whether teenagers will spend their afternoons making trouble or building self-esteem, and whether parents will be separated from their children or given the help needed to build healthy families. These workers also determine whether juveniles will spend their time in detention or be given a second chance in community-based programs, and whether families make the transition from welfare to gainful employment.