The field education experience in a privatized foster care system

Foster care agencies are experiencing a high number of children entering the child-welfare-system, which in turn, increases the demands of competent, skilled, case workers to provide services. Further, foster care agencies are facing low retention and recruitment rates for case workers. This study explores field education in a privatized foster care agency in the United States. The agency of study uses internships to recruit student interns and retains interns as employable staff members upon graduation. Results suggested that student interns who received weekly supervision, training, and certificate opportunities, and engaged in student-led learning positively viewed the agency. Future studies may further explore links between field education experience and recruitment and retention rate of case workers at foster care agencies.