DCF Child Welfare Stipend Program

Program Background

The UConn School of Social Work has a longstanding partnership with the Connecticut State Department of Children and Families (DCF) to increase a more diverse, professionally trained, master’s-level public child welfare workforce. This $4,000 stipend-based initiative prepares students with specialized classroom and practicum training to work with diverse families served by DCF. The development of this program is influenced by the NCWWI CT Partnership for Child Welfare Excellence from 2014. The selection process is competitive with up to five positions for students who are non-DCF employees and will work at CT DCF upon graduation.

    Program Requirements

    Student Eligibility:

    • Individuals, Groups, and Families on campus students entering advanced year, Fall 2025
    • Individuals, Groups, and Families online students entering advanced year, Fall 2026
    • Spanish-speaking students preferred
    • Interest in child welfare social work practice
    • Overall GPA of 3.0 or higher
    • Meet UConn and practicum agency requirements
    • Complete application form and include an essay outlining your interest and/or experience in child welfare (minimum four pages). Please include your experience working with diverse populations, particularly the Latine community, unofficial transcript, and resume/CV.

    Application Deadline:

    • December 10th for returning students
    • February 15th for incoming advanced standing students
      • Prospective students applying to the MSW program have the option to select a stipend program during the application process. It is important to thoroughly review the programs and eligibility criteria as only one program can be chosen. In addition to meeting the standard application requirements, applicants must also complete essay #2. Notifications about the stipend program will be sent separately from the MSW application decision, between March and April. The stipend program decision is independent of the MSW application decision.

      Eligible applicants will be selected for an interview with the program leadership team to determine acceptance to the program.

      Students agree to:

      • Complete a background screening – CPS, fingerprinting, and driver’s license check
      • Conduct home visits with children and families in diverse neighborhoods
      • Enroll in one of the approved child welfare courses, HBEL 5381- Child Maltreatment: History, Theory, Prevention and Intervention or SWEL 5318- Core Concepts of Child and Adolescent Trauma
      • Accept a position for employment at DCF in Connecticut, if offered, and remain employed at DCF for two years
      • If DCF employment is not offered/available within 3 months after graduation, graduates are not obligated to wait for a DCF position
      • Return or repay the DCF portion ($2,000) of the full $4,000 stipend, if the requirements of this program and the conferral of the MSW degree are not met

      Stipends after disbursed at the end of the fall ($2,000) and spring ($2,000) semesters.

      More Information

      Contact Milagros Marrero- Johnson, Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives and Community Engagement