This paper surveys twelve career paths in the family and child services field, providing an overview of job responsibilities, educational requirements, employment outlook, and salary data for each role. Positions examined include child life specialist, early childhood special educator, human services caseworker, child advocate, Head Start teacher, forensic interviewer, child protective specialist, mental health technician, adoption social worker, foster care social worker, youth counselor, and camp counselor. Drawing on sources such as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences, the paper demonstrates that all twelve fields project positive growth, making careers in family and child services a stable and rewarding choice.
Career opportunities and job outlook related to service to families and children look favorable in the coming years. Several fields offer stable job growth along with unique opportunities to not only showcase specific talents, but to help children and families achieve stability in their lives. Opportunities include teaching, social work, and counseling, among others, inviting pursuit of several different avenues in order to achieve a desired career path. The following are descriptions of twelve jobs in their related fields that people seeking to work with families and children can research and pursue.
A child life specialist works with families and their children to aid in managing stressful circumstances. The job responsibilities of a child life specialist are closely related to the field of pediatrics. Most child life specialists conduct their work in hospitals and are part of a team that provides healthcare for adolescents or children. Child life specialists often work with children who are stressed and in need of reassurance — someone to calm them and prepare them for upsetting events (Early Childhood Intervention Services, 2013). This kind of situation requires the specialist to engage in dialogue, play, art, and other forms of self-expression to help the child cope with stressful events and develop positive coping strategies for future stressors. Such events can range from complicated procedures and routine testing to ongoing treatment for a chronic illness. Another important aspect of this role is providing adequate support for patients' family members through emotional guidance and educational materials. Child life specialists are also responsible for facilitating daily interaction between patients and hospital staff through the management of support groups and the coordination of special events for patients. They can work in a variety of locations, from hospices to specialized camps.
Employment outlook for child life specialists is favorable, with jobs in this field expected to increase over the next decade. Urban areas offer the most job opportunities, as a large number of available positions are in children's hospitals. The average salary for child life specialists as of 2013 was slightly over $43,000, with lower salaries just above $35,000 and upper salaries reaching $54,000. Salary growth of approximately 2% is expected within the next ten years (Homepage — American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences, 2013).
Early childhood special educators work as part of a team that addresses the needs of infants, toddlers, and young children who may exhibit physical or sensory impairments, emotional challenges, or cognitive disabilities. This role requires the educator to coordinate with families and other service providers — including physical therapists, social workers, and medical professionals — in delivering, evaluating, and formulating interventions that will positively influence the child's needs and development. Early childhood special educators also provide direct services to the children they work with in various settings, including classrooms, homes, or center-based programs designed to support child development.
The employment outlook for this field is strong. The need for people trained in this specialty is very high, and recent government legislation has enabled non-profit organizations to seek out prospective employees to serve this specific population of children. Opportunities for advancement are available, including promotion to supervisory positions and higher annual salaries. These jobs are also offered at colleges and universities, as well as community colleges, broadening future opportunities (Homepage — American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences, 2013).
Head Start teachers offer a variety of opportunities to educate and inspire young children. Responsibilities include guiding preschool-age children through show and tell, art projects, and other activities, as well as monitoring children during recess. Teaching at this level entails helping children build a basic foundation in English, mathematics, science, and history without the need for formal instructional techniques. Some duties resemble those of a caregiver, as the typical age of children served is between three and five (Persky & Golubchick, 1991, p. 46). This means Head Start teachers may need to manage spills, bathroom accidents, and diaper changes, in addition to organizing outings and field trips to cultural attractions or local museums — all requiring the assistance of another teacher or a parent volunteer. Importantly, the job also involves monitoring social activity among children and communicating progress or concerns to parents.
Employment outlook for this kind of job varies by institution. The average rate of pay for preschool and Head Start teachers in the United States is approximately $12 per hour, with reported annual salaries slightly above $25,000 as of May 2013 (Homepage — American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences, 2013). Private schools, however, offer salaries upwards of $45,000 annually, often accompanied by stricter educational requirements. Continued population growth and increased birth rates are expected to drive job growth in this sector over the next five to seven years.
A human services caseworker, or social worker, helps people solve or manage issues and crises that arise in their lives. They often assist people experiencing financial instability and help them find affordable housing, and they may help clients identify possible treatment options for medical issues. Caseworkers build professional relationships on an individual basis, providing counseling and advocacy throughout the duration of a client's time of need (Cree, 2003, p. 70). They frequently serve as mediators between multiple services and act as a point of contact for placement into facilities such as group homes, shelters, special care programs, and schools. Job duties vary greatly and reflect the individual needs of each client, encompassing identification of those requiring assistance, consultation, assessment, formulation of a plan, and implementation of specific resources. Partnership with medical professionals and periodic monitoring are also standard responsibilities.
There is increasing demand for social and health services. Employment in this field is expected to grow by more than a quarter in the next seven years. Growth rates vary by specialty — for instance, demand for healthcare social workers is projected to increase by 35%, while demand for family and school social workers is expected to rise by around 20%. This type of job carries the highest possibility of immediate employment in the field (Homepage — American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences, 2013).
Court-appointed special services offer a range of possible jobs, one of which is child advocate. The responsibilities of a child advocate include evaluating the child and family, which may encompass communicating the child's needs, compiling a social and medical history, and providing practical assistance to the family. The role also involves building rapport between the child and family, conducting appropriate screenings for special needs, and facilitating visitation for families and children — including siblings and other relatives — in accordance with court-ordered arrangements. Child advocates provide judges with recommendations regarding the wellbeing of the child and track case progress within a state adoption agency or foster care database. They must also attend all court hearings pertaining to their role with the child.
Employment outlook for child advocates is generally positive, with opportunities available throughout the country. As with most jobs in this field, demand is high; however, this role depends on government funding, meaning the need for child advocates may increase or decrease based on funding availability. The projected job outlook from 2010 to 2018 reflects approximately 14% growth, with earnings of around $10 per hour when working within a social advocacy organization (Homepage — American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences, 2013). Although the hourly pay is lower and there is no set salary, the work is consistent and comes with benefits available to government workers, such as health insurance and paid transportation.
Adoption social workers support both the adoptive and birth families of a child throughout the adoption process. Job responsibilities include performing or assisting with background checks, home studies, parent counseling, and the post-placement process (Adoption Caseworker: Job Description and Education Requirements, 2013). They serve as mediators between adoptive and birth families, ensuring that the child is placed in an appropriate and safe home while protecting the privacy and rights of the birth family. In some cases, birth families prefer a closed adoption, in which the child will not have access to information about their birth parents. In other cases, an open adoption is preferred, allowing the birth family to maintain some bond with the child after placement. To ensure a strong adoptive match, social workers assess the home environment and background of prospective adoptive families and evaluate the specific needs of each child. Experienced adoption social workers may also engage in research, client advocacy, and policy development.
Employment outlook in this area, as with other social work roles, is very promising, with a projected 20% increase over the next seven years. Adoption agencies have experienced a growing need for these workers due to rising numbers of unplanned births and child abuse cases. Adoption social workers earn an average annual salary of just over $45,000 (Home: Occupational Outlook Handbook — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2012).
Foster care social workers assist foster children in a variety of ways. They monitor mental health, provide support for the many challenges foster children may face — such as placement in an abusive foster home, limited educational opportunities, and particularly the lack of support when they turn 18 and age out of the system. The primary responsibilities of this role include investigating situations in which a child may be neglected or abused in a foster home, assessing circumstances and client needs, and determining which services or placements are most appropriate (Child Life Council: Overview of Child Life Council, 2013). Foster care social workers also work with birth families in cases of abuse or neglect and facilitate the placement of children into suitable foster families. Additional duties include counseling families and children, informing them about available social services, and testifying in court to help determine custody arrangements and other legal matters.
"Forensic interviewers and child protective specialists"
"Mental health technicians, youth counselors, and camp counselors"
"Student's personal career preferences and takeaways"
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