Specialized Training Program Preparing Students for a Career in Public Child Welfare
Gain the experience you need to hit the ground running in your career in child welfare.
The Title IV-E Child Welfare Stipend Program (CWSP) is a partnership between the Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) and four universities within Virginia. This specialized training program, funded through Title IV-E of the Social Security Act, aims to prepare social work students for a career in public child welfare. Each CWSP recipient will receive a $10,000 stipend per academic year, with a work payback requirement.
Application Deadlines: January 31st and March 1st
Application deadlines vary by academic level. Please see the application process below for details. The current cycle of applications launched in October 2024.
Child Welfare Stipend and Program Benefits
In exchange for the $10,000 stipend and extensive child welfare training, accepted students must commit to work at a local Department of Social Service agency within the state of Virginia one (1) calendar year for each academic year the stipend was received. This employment obligation begins six (6) months after graduation. Once a student graduates and begins working for a local DSS agency, the graduate will keep their earned paycheck. Graduates working for local DSS agencies do not repay the stipend to the Virginia Department of Social Services if they obtain a qualifying position.
Program benefits and support at GMU include:
- Workshops relevant to child welfare practice.
- Support with the employment search process.
- Required training through the Commonwealth of Virginia Learning Center.
- Field internship with a local Department of Social Services agency.
- Opportunities to connect with child welfare professionals and CWSP alumni working in Virginia.
Eligibility
- Eligible students must be enrolled full-time in the BSW or MSW program.
- For BSW Students:
- CWSP only accepts rising BSW seniors (students should apply during their junior year.)
- Students must be ready to enter field practicum.
- Students must have a valid driver's license in good standing.
Program Expectations at GMU
- Eligible students must be enrolled in a full-time BSW or MSW program.
- Stipend students must successfully complete two Child Welfare courses (Child Welfare Policy and Child Welfare Practice electives).
- MSW Stipend Recipients must complete one field practicum in a child serving setting, and one field practicum at a local Department of Social Services (primarily in a foster care/adoption, & in-home services).
- BSW Stipend Recipients and MSW Advanced Standing Stipend Recipients must complete one field practicum at a local Department of Social Services (primarily in a foster care/adoption, & in-home services).
- CWSP recipients are required to complete the VDSS new worker state training.*
- Accepted students must enroll and attend the weekly Field Practicum & Seminar class for CWSP students.
- Accepted students in the Child Welfare Stipend Program at GMU must attend the synchronous field and seminar class for their cohort. MSW online students are required to attend training sessions and the weekly seminar class in-person held on the GMU Fairfax Campus.
*Mandatory VDSS state trainings vary each academic year. Students will be provided detailed training information after they have been accepted into the program.
Application Process
Application Instructions:
Interested applicants should complete this application form and submit the following supporting documents.
- Personal Statement
- Updated resume
- Application form: 2025-2026 CWSP Application
Applications without the supporting documents are incomplete and will not be considered.
Professional Recommendations: Following the interview, applicants chosen to move forward in the selection process will be required to submit two professional references using the following link:
Both references must be from professionals who have worked with you, preferably one from someone who has supervised you in some capacity.
Personal Statement information
Before writing your personal statement, please review the following podcast:
Casework: What it Really Takes, by the Child Welfare Information Gateway. Casework: What it really takes.
Your statement should answer the following questions:
- Why do you want to work with children and their families?
- If applicable, please describe your experience in child welfare. You may discuss current or past experiences as a volunteer, student, employee, client, etc.
- What are your personal strengths and areas where growth is needed?
- How do you manage competing priorities? Provide examples.
- What are your career goals upon completing a BSW or MSW degree? How will the Child Welfare Stipend Program help you attain your goals?
- Why should Virginia's Department of Social Services invest in your education?
Application deadlines
Deadline #1: January 31, 2025.
This deadline is for the following students:
Current full-time BSW students entering their senior year in Fall 2025
Current full-time MSW on-ground students beginning their 2nd year in Fall 2025
Current full-time Dual Degree MSW students beginning their 3rd year in Fall 2025
Current MSW online students with an expected graduation date of May 2026 or May 2027
Current MSW 3- and 4-years students entering field practicum in Fall 2025
Deadline #2: March 1, 2025
This deadline is for the following students:
Prospective incoming students for the MSW Advanced Standing program*
Prospective incoming students for the 2-year MSW program*
Prospective incoming students for the Dual Degree MSW program*
*Prospective students: Some applicants may not receive their MSW admission decision prior to the CWSP application date; however, applicants must apply to be considered, as application packets received after the CWSP application deadlines will not be considered.
Application Materials: Applicants must complete this online application form and submit all required supporting documents by the application deadline. Required documents include the following:
Professional statement
Current resume (students must include current service learning or field practicum experience).
Two (2) professional references and are due 1 month after the application deadline.
Screening and Selection Process: Applicants must be accepted into George Mason University's BSW or MSW program and enrolled as full-time students, for consideration. Complete applications and supporting documents are thoroughly reviewed by the GMU Child Welfare Stipend Program coordinator and PI. Live (in-person or virtual) interviews are the final step in the application process. Recipients of the Child Welfare Stipend Program are selected after a thorough review of their application materials and responses given during their in-person interview.
Student Notification and Acceptance of Stipends
Applicants will be notified in writing via email about the award decision after interviews are completed. Students who are offered the Child Welfare Stipend will be required to sign a legally binding agreement called a Student Recipient Agreement, which details the student and postgraduate program expectations. Applicants who choose to accept the stipend must sign and submit the Student Recipient Agreement to the Child Welfare Stipend Program Coordinator.
Application to CWSP and Acceptance into the MSW Program
Applicants should not wait until they receive a decision letter from the MSW program before applying to the Child Welfare Stipend Program. Applicants interested in the MSW Program and Child Welfare Stipend are encouraged to apply to both programs separately within the same time frame. The MSW and CWSP are different programs; however, the application timelines are similar.
Contact information:
Katherine Cornejo, LICSW, LCSW
CWSP Coordinator
(703) 993-6009
kcornej@gmu.edu
Approved Electives for the 2024-2025 CWSP Cohort
BSW students
Practice: SOCW 483 - Select Topics: Trauma-Informed Child Welfare Practice
Policy: SOCW 415 - Child and Family Welfare
MSW on-ground students
Practice: SOCW 677 - Family Therapy
Policy: SOCW 654 - Social Policy: Children/Youth
MSW online students
Practice: SOCW 677 - Family Therapy
Policy: SOCW 654 - Social Policy: Children/Youth
Accepted MSW online students are required to meet with the CWSP coordinator, Katherine Cornejo, and the MSW online program director, Dr. Daphne King, about the CWSP electives.
CWSP Coordinator Contact Information
Students in the 2024-2025 cohort.
Additional Resources
Virginia Department of Social Services
The Virginia Department of Social Services is one of the largest Commonwealth agencies, partnering with 120 local departments of social services to promote the well-being of children and families statewide.