"I love working with children," said Monique Doggett, who came to the agency from Hamilton County Juvenile Court. She has been in the child protection field for five years.
From Hiring Fair applicants to
Children's Services caseworkers
First of more than 100 employed through successful Sept. 29 hiring fair start
agency careers
Nov. 1, 2007 -- With great enthusiasm and a sense of
determination, the first of more than 100 caseworkers employed as a result the
Children's Services Hiring Fair started their new jobs today.
(Listen to their comments in this
podcast.)
"I love working with children," said Monique Doggett, who came to the agency
from Hamilton County Juvenile Court. She has been in the child protection field
for five years.
Like many of the 14 new hires, she learned about the Hiring Fair on Sept. 29 through advertisements and articles in The Cincinnati Enquirer. The agency also promoted the first-time event with television ads and Web site postings.
Children's Services worker Kendra Lewis suggested the
day-long hiring fair. She had worked in another county that had great success
with similar events. Interviews were conducted at the agency's 237 Taft offices,
background checks were made promptly, and job offers were processed quickly.
“This is a different approach than anything we’ve tried before; we want to do a
mass hiring so we can make a quick, appreciable increase in the number of eyes
and ears we can put out in the community,” Director Moira Weir said in
announcing the fair. “We’re looking for hard-working people who are dedicated to
children and care about making their corner of the world a better place.”
By increasing the number of Children’s Services workers, the department can
reduce caseload size. Ongoing workers average 18 cases per worker. Intake
workers average 25. The Child Welfare League of America recommends caseloads of
12-15.
Former HCJFS employee Mark Fewell said he heard about the Hiring Fair through
word of mouth. He had been working at Cincinnati Area Senior Services.
"It's work that's very, very needed with a population that's very much at risk," Fewell said. "The ability to make an impact on people's lives and help them through difficult situations is rewarding."
Myra Wheeler, a 20-year social worker (nine in child
protection), said a former co-worker saw a posting about the Hiring Fair on a
Web site and mentioned it to her in a break room.
"I like the direct contact with the families and the kids," said Wheeler, who
came from a neighboring county. "... I'm just very happy to be here and excited
to be a part of Hamilton County."
Former HCJFS employee Karen Rumsey returned to the agency after working for a private social service organization.
"I like helping kids and being a part of a system to make
things better for children," Rumsey said. "I'm excited about being here. It's
just like returning home. It feels great."
Children’s Services workers earn annual salaries between $31,700 and $52,700. To
qualify as a Children’s Services worker, an applicant must have at least a
bachelor’s degree in a program closely related to social work plus six months
paid relevant experience, or a master’s degree or bachelor’s degree in a field
non-related to social work plus 12 months paid relevant work experience.
Applicants also qualify if they have a bachelor’s degree in Social Work and
successful completion of a three-quarter or two-semester senior year field
placement at a public children’s services agency. The degree must be awarded
from an accredited college or university.
James Nare is glad he found about the fair in a front-page article in the Enquirer. (Hear his remarks in this podcast/New Hires Part 2.) The 25-year social services veteran plans continue his part-time work in the Beech Acres Parenting Center while he helps children and families as a Children's Services worker.
"Like everyone else, I feel very, very good to be here and look forward to it," he said.