March has been deemed Social Work Appreciation Month, an opportunity that allows us time to pause and honor the efforts of professional social workers who have dedicated their career to serving vulnerable populations. Social workers serve in multiple sectors including hospitals and healthcare settings, schools, community mental health centers, etc. Today I would like to highlight the work of social workers in the child welfare system.

Front-line child welfare social workers play an essential role in ensuring child safety and well-being, and they achieve that goal by regularly navigating complex systems. In the child welfare system, social workers often find themselves facing complicated family dynamics, legal processes, and social issues. By appropriately assessing and addressing risk factors social workers can strengthen families and provide stability to youth and their families.

In child welfare, every day brings new opportunities to make tangible differences in the lives of children and families. That difference might be in the way of helping a struggling parent, advocating for the best interest of a child in court, witnessing healing in a family that leads to reunification, or potentially the formation of a new family through the adoption process.

So, to those of you who are passionate about making a positive impact in the lives of children and families, I urge you to consider joining the rewarding work of child welfare. Your empathy, resilience, and commitment to children and families are needed now more than ever. If you know a social worker, thank them. If you are a social worker, thank you.

Matt Stephens is Saint Francis Ministries’ Vice President of Advocacy