How to hire child, family, and school social workers
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Address legal issues, such as child abuse and discipline, assisting with hearings and providing testimony to inform custody arrangements. • Arrange for medical, psychiatric, and other tests that may disclose causes of difficulties and indicate remedial measures. • Consult with parents, teachers, and other school personnel to determine causes of problems, such as truancy and misbehavior, and to implement solutions. • Counsel parents with child rearing problems, interviewing the child and family to determine whether further action is required. • Develop and review service plans in consultation with clients and perform follow-ups assessing the quantity and quality of services provided. • Interview clients individually, in families, or in groups, assessing their situations, capabilities, and problems to determine what services are required to meet their needs. • Maintain case history records and prepare reports. • Serve as liaisons between students, homes, schools, family services, child guidance clinics, courts, protective services, doctors, and other contacts to help children who face problems, such as disabilities, abuse, or poverty. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: Bachelor's degree] • Strong active listening, speaking, critical thinking, reading comprehension, monitoring and writing skills • Working knowledge of customer and personal service, psychology, therapy and counseling and English Language • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $28.63 an hour ($59,550 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for child, family, and school social workers
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to address legal issues, such as child abuse and discipline, assisting with hearings and providing testimony to inform custody arrangements. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to arrange for medical, psychiatric, and other tests that may disclose causes of difficulties and indicate remedial measures. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to consult with parents, teachers, and other school personnel to determine causes of problems, such as truancy and misbehavior, and to implement solutions. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to counsel parents with child rearing problems, interviewing the child and family to determine whether further action is required. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
- Explain something technical from your last job as you would to a new coworker.
- Describe a decision at work where the obvious answer was wrong. How did you work out the better choice?
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What child, family, and school social workers do
- Address legal issues, such as child abuse and discipline, assisting with hearings and providing testimony to inform custody arrangements.
- Arrange for medical, psychiatric, and other tests that may disclose causes of difficulties and indicate remedial measures.
- Consult with parents, teachers, and other school personnel to determine causes of problems, such as truancy and misbehavior, and to implement solutions.
- Counsel parents with child rearing problems, interviewing the child and family to determine whether further action is required.
- Develop and review service plans in consultation with clients and perform follow-ups assessing the quantity and quality of services provided.
- Interview clients individually, in families, or in groups, assessing their situations, capabilities, and problems to determine what services are required to meet their needs.
- Maintain case history records and prepare reports.
- Serve as liaisons between students, homes, schools, family services, child guidance clinics, courts, protective services, doctors, and other contacts to help children who face problems, such as disabilities, abuse, or poverty.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for child, family, and school social workers
- Typical education to start: Bachelor's degree (BLS)
- Job outlook: +4.4% over ten years, about as fast as average · about 33,900 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay child, family, and school social workers
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| Connecticut | $78,970 |
| Maryland | $76,390 |
| New Jersey | $76,280 |
| Massachusetts | $75,570 |
| Washington | $74,480 |
| Mississippi | $46,530 |
| Oklahoma | $43,950 |
| Arkansas | $43,330 |
See child, family, and school social workers pay in every state
Related hiring guides
- Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors
- Marriage and Family Therapists
- Rehabilitation Counselors
- Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors
- Counselors, All Other
- Healthcare Social Workers
- Mental Health and Substance Abuse Social Workers
- Social Workers, All Other
- Health Education Specialists
- Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists
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Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.