St. Cloud State University

 Minnesota BSW Child Welfare Consortium
University of Minnesota School of Social Work and

The social work departments at
Bemidji State University;
Minnesota State University, Mankato;
Minnesota State University, Moorhead;
St. Cloud State University;
and
Winona State University.

Spring 2010 IV-E CHILD WELFARE STIPENDS:
APPLICATION PROCESS

The Minnesota BSW Child Welfare Consortium* at the University of Minnesota School of Social Work and the consortium schools will be able to support students through its own funds and a federal Title IV-E grant.   The major 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 a professional social work-educated staff to serve families and children at risk.

For the purposes of defining the area of practice that we are supporting, 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:

1. Protecting and promoting the welfare of all children, including handicapped, homeless, dependent, or neglected children;
2. Preventing or remedying, or assisting in the solution of problems which may result in the neglect, abuse, exploitation, or delinquency of children;
3. 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;
4. Restoring to their families children who have been removed, by the provision of services to the child and the families;
5. Placing children in suitable adoptive homes, in cases where restoration to the biological family is not possible or appropriate; and
6. 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 funding available for the Spring 2010 student stipends is pending. Students who apply for child welfare stipends will be ranked according to their commitment to child welfare practice and to culturally sensitive practice as evidenced by their work or volunteer experience.   Applicants must be U.S. citizens or have permanent resident status.

If you are interested in study and employment in public child welfare and want to be considered for a child welfare stipend for Spring 2009, please complete the attached application form.   All IV-E scholarship applications must be received in the student's home school Social Work department office by Tuesday, November 17, 2009, at 3:00 p.m. (Room 226 Stewart Hall).    All awards are contingent on federal funding. As a recipient of a IV-E Child Welfare Training stipend from the Minnesota BSW Child Welfare Consortium and consortium schools, the following conditions are associated with 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.

The criteria to be used by the Selection Committee for BSW Child Welfare Students for the Spring 2008 awards are:

• Evidence of commitment and ability to be educated and employed in the public child welfare field.   Past experience in child welfare can be in child protection; adoptions, foster care, and contracted agencies and agencies/organizations working with vulnerable/at-risk children.   Can include volunteer experience.
• 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.

Thank you for your interest in our program.

* The Minnesota BSW Child Welfare Consortium is composed of the social work departments at Bemidji State University; Minnesota State University, Mankato; Minnesota State University, Moorhead; St. Cloud State University; Winona State University and the School of Social Work at the University of Minnesota.