CWF 5 Reasons to Join Downloadable PDF
The Child Welfare Fellowship (formerly known as Title IV-E) is a paid internship opportunity that also provides specialized training, coursework, and support to students interested in pursuing a career helping families and children across the state of Maryland. Child Welfare Fellows are placed in a variety of internship sites across the state, including but not limited to Local Departments of Social Services, Family Connections Baltimore (within the Center for Restorative Change), and Social Services Administration.
The internship sites offer a range of experiential opportunities for both Clinical students and Leadership, Policy, and Social Change (LPSC) students in areas like family preservation services, foster care services, child protective services, policy work, and so much more. Child Welfare Fellows are supported while pursuing their MSW degree with a financial stipend of $14,400 per year and welcomed into a cohort of students receiving clinical and/or LPSC training and coursework geared towards engagement and intervention with vulnerable families and children.
The Child Welfare Fellowship Program is known for providing specialized training around trauma responsive interventions, Motivational Interviewing, and offering reflection space for critical analysis of services and systems.
Following graduation, Child Welfare Fellows are also guaranteed employment at a Maryland Local Department of Social Services with excellent benefits packages, generous paid leave time, and competitive salaries starting at $70,000 for Licensed Social Workers.
For those interested in employment specifically in Baltimore City or Prince George’s County after graduation, there are additional stipends within the Child Welfare Fellowship Program available.
The Child Welfare Fellowship Program is looking for students who are critical thinkers and interested in being part of an innovative time in Child Welfare system transformation.
Applications for Fall 2026 will open October 15, 2025 with a priority deadline of January 15, 2026.
