The Child Welfare Fellowship/Title IV-E Education for Public Child Welfare Program is a collaboration between the University of Maryland School of Social Work and the Maryland Department of Human Services to prepare Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) and Master of Social Work (MSW) students for public child welfare practice. Field placement sites with faculty field instructors have been established in the local Department of Social Services for specialized child welfare field placements.

The Child Welfare Fellowship/Title IV-E Program at UMBC is only available to current UMBC social work students going into their senior year field placement.

Child Welfare Fellowship/Title IV-E students provide services to children and families through public child welfare programs. Title IV-E students receive a financial stipend to pay for tuition and fees. When the students graduate they are then obligated under contract to work for the Maryland Department of Human Services in public child welfare for a year or pay back the financial stipend they received.

To be selected for the Child Welfare Fellowship/Title IV-E Program, BSW students must meet, at a minimum, the following conditions:

• Express a specific interest in social work practice in public child welfare.
• Agree to seek and accept employment with the Maryland Department of Human Services after graduation. Twelve months of employment obligation is incurred for each academic year (fall/spring semesters) of participation. Students who do not fulfill the employment obligation must repay their financial stipend.

To get more information about the Child Welfare Fellowship/Title IV-E Program, contact Claire Meringolo at cmeringolo@ssw.umaryland.edu or visit the website at https://www.ssw.umaryland.edu/tuition–fees/msw-program/scholarships–fellowships/child-welfare-fellowship/