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Academics

Child Welfare Training and Advancement Program

CWTAP promotes training excellence for Washington state’s child welfare workforce through the financial support of social work students and professionals. This state-funded partnership links the resources of UW School of Social Work, Alliance for Child Welfare Excellence, and the state’s Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF).
For over 30 years, CWTAP provides qualified participants with specialized field education focused on casework in select DCYF offices. The field experience centers on topics such as abuse-and-neglect prevention, protective services, permanency planning, solution-based casework, and competency in working with diverse populations.
 
Once students complete their BASW studies, they commit to either a) seeking employment with DCYF and working for DCYF for a time period equal to the time they received financial assistance or b) applying for the UW Advanced Standing MSW program and obtaining their MSW through the CWTAP MSW program before completing their DCYF payback time through employment.
 
Example of how DCYF employment payback works for students who complete their studies with a BASW: a typical student who earns their BASW through CWTAP receives financial assistance over three quarters, equivalent to 9 months.  This means upon graduation, the student needs to obtain and maintain employment with DCYF in a qualifying position for 9 months before satisfying their DCYF payback time.
 
Example of how DCYF employment payback works for students who complete their studies with a MSW through the Advanced Standing Program: a typical student who earns their MSW through the Advanced Standing CWTAP MSW program receives financial assistance over six quarters, equivalent to 18 months.  This means upon graduation, the student needs to obtain and maintain employment with DCYF in a qualifying position for 18 months before satisfying their DCYF payback time.