COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA - The S.C. Department of Social Services (SCDSS) will partner with Winthrop University and two other institutions to offer scholarship funding to help train future workers for the state's child welfare system.
Three social work scholars each from Winthrop, the University of South Carolina and South Carolina State University will be awarded tuition assistance in the fall 2022 semester in what is a new program, called the Child Well-being BSW Scholars Tuition Assistance Program. This program will allow Winthrop’s Department of Social Work, in collaboration with SCDSS, to recruit, educate and prepare Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) students for future employment in the agency’s Child Welfare Services division.
The application deadline is Sept. 30 for the fall 2022 program.
The scholarships will cover up to $5,000 of relevant social work courses, minus any other eligible financial aid for the final three semesters needed for the student to complete the BSW program.
In exchange for the tuition assistance, the student will complete an internship with the agency, as well as an employment commitment of at least two years upon completion and graduation with the social work degree.
Relevant careers in DSS include:
• Intake
• Investigations
• Family Preservation
• Foster Care
• Adoptions
• Independent Living
Social Services officials are excited about the program’s possibilities. “The Department of Social Services is always looking toward the future. We need a highly skilled, driven team of professionals to serve the needs of our clients. Our next generation of child welfare leaders are out there, and we want to make sure we assist our best and brightest students with a strong start on their path to a successful career with the agency,” said Michael Leach, DSS state director.
Kori Bloomquist, as associate professor who will serve as the program administrator for Winthrop, said: "This program has tremendous potential to support BSW students in their professional development, further professionalize the SCDSS workforce, and more effectively serve and meet the needs of vulnerable children and families in South Carolina. Similar programs have been highly effective in other states and jurisdictions across the country and we feel confident the same will hold true in South Carolina."
The application process is competitive and requires letters of recommendation, a writing sample and an interview. Find more information on how to apply.
For more information, contact Bloomquist at bloomquistk@winthrop.edu or contact Will Batchelor at 803/898-7835 or at publicinfo@dss.sc.gov.
