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BSW Child Welfare IV-E Project
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The Social Work Program is a member of the BSW Child Welfare
Consortium, a five state university social work program
organization, under the direction of the University
of Minnesota , Twin Cities , School of Social Work .
The participating state universities include:
- Bemidji State University
- Minnesota State University, Mankato
- Minnesota State University, Moorhead
- St. Cloud State University
- Winona State University
The BSW Child Welfare Project provides stipends to undergraduate
social work majors interested in and committed to working
in public child welfare (county social service) upon graduation.
The purposes of the grant are to strengthen the staffing
patterns of public child welfare services, particularly in
rural areas in Minnesota and to reinforce the development
of professional social work educated staff to serve families
and children at risk.
The consortium uses the definition of child welfare services
that appears in the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare
Act of 1980, Part B, Section 425 (a) (1):
The term “child welfare services” means public
social services, which are directed toward the accomplishment
of the following purposes:
(A) Protecting and promoting the welfare of all children, including handicapped,
homeless, dependent, or neglected children; (B) Preventing or remedying, or
assisting in the solution of problems which may result in the neglect, abuse,
exploitation, or delinquency of children; (C) Preventing the unnecessary separation
of children from their families by identifying family problems, assisting families
in resolving their problems, and preventing breakup of the family where the
prevention of child removal is desirable and possible; (D) Restoring to their
families children who have been removed, by the provision of services to the
child and the families; (E) Placing children in suitable adoptive homes, in
cases where restoration to the biological family is not possible or appropriate;
and (F) Assuring adequate care of children away from their homes, in cases
where the child cannot be returned home or cannot be placed for adoption.
The criteria to be used by the Selection Committee
for BSW Child Welfare Students for the 2007 – 2008
academic year awards are:
- Evidence of commitment and ability to be educated and
employed in the public child welfare field. Past pre-professional
experience or volunteer experience in child welfare can
be in child protection; adoptions, foster care, and contracted
agencies and agencies/organizations working with vulnerable/at-risk
children.
- Evidence of developing competency in, and commitment
to, culturally sensitive practice with ethnic minorities,
diverse communities, underserved populations, and people
not of applicant’s own racial, ethnic, or cultural
identification.
- Continued good academic standing in the social work
program at a consortium school.
- Must be a United States Citizen or Permanent Resident
to be eligible for an award.
The award is contingent upon satisfactory academic progress
in the BSW program as well as availability of funds.
Recipients of Child Welfare stipends must meet
the following conditions for receipt and continuance
of the award (not inclusive):
- IV-E Child Welfare students are required to have their
senior field placement in a county or state child welfare
unit.
- Agree to register and complete classes as a student
in accordance with the requirements for the BSW degree.
- Agree to complete a designated social work child welfare
course that will be offered in the Social Work department.
- Upon exit from a consortium school, agree to seek employment
in the area of child welfare in a public (county or state)
agency and commit to such employment for a period of one
calendar year for each year of financial aid or part thereof.
Agree to accept such a position if one is available and
if one is offered within three (3) months. Agree to complete
and return official job search forms to the Minnesota BSW
Child Welfare Consortium at scheduled intervals. (Failure
to provide this information could result in the award recipient
having to repay stipend money received while a student.)
Failure to graduate does not provide an exemption from
the employment (or repayment) requirements.
- Agree to attend other meetings and seminars related
to child welfare as offered by the Minnesota BSW Child
Welfare Consortium and consortium schools.
For Information Contact:
Mary Ann Reitmeir, MSW,
LISW
Associate Professor, Social Work
Phone: 218-755-2835
Email:
mreitmeir@bemidjistate.edu
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