More than a Stipend

For more than 30 years, the Title IV-E Education Program has been helping dedicated students build vibrant careers in California’s child welfare system. By lowering barriers to entry for those hoping to pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees in social work, the program creates real opportunities for students who want to make real change.

But IV-E does more than build the child welfare workforce, it also builds community. By bringing together students from all backgrounds who share a passion for public service, Title IV-E fosters transformative connections that can last a lifetime.

Just ask Phillip Prewitt. Back in 2022, he began a IV-E-funded M.S.W. (Masters of Social Work) at San Francisco State University (SFSU). With a few years of experience in social service already under his belt, Phillip was eager to take the next steps in his career. “I always knew I wanted to become a LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker) so I could practice therapy,” he recalls. IV-E was the “stepping stone” he needed to get there, offering some much needed “peace” and assurance about his professional future amidst a challenging job market.

During his MSW program, Phillip held internships with the San Francisco Department of Public Health and Alameda County Children and Family Services, honing his skills and working toward his goal of LCSW certification. In May 2024, Phillip graduated from SFSU and is currently working full time with Alameda County as a child protective services practitioner, focusing on emergency response.

Phillip’s professional journey is impressive, and a prime example of the Title IV-E program in action. But it’s really only half the story. As he was working toward a rewarding career in child welfare, he was also busy building a community that would change his life for the better.

Lasting Connections

On the first day of his degree program at SFSU, Phillip met three other incoming students, Sherman Feng, Derek Yi, and Alberto Saavedra. Like Phillip, all three had prior experience in the social service sector and a commitment to developing the skills they needed to advance their careers in child welfare. That commitment drew them all to Title IV-E.

As Alberto recalls, IV-E “helped me understand the importance of serving children and families…It made me realize I want to make a real difference in their lives.” Sherman and Derek echo the sentiment. “I was always confident as a provider in the field of social work,” recounts Sherman, “but graduate school and my internship made me into a different animal. I learned theories and therapeutic practices that I never would have encountered in my previous jobs.”

Brought together by their shared dedication to learning and service (and good food), the four made fast friends. Says Phillip, “The first day of school foreshadowed what the rest of our lives together would look like…We aren’t related by blood and we come from a variety of different backgrounds, but I consider these guys next to family. Without them, I wouldn’t have gotten through the highs and lows of my time at SFSU.”

Child welfare social workers are trained to understand just how important it is for young people to have strong, nurturing relationships in their lives. When a child can count on a supportive home and family environment, they are more likely to flourish in school, work, and social life. If Phillip, Alberto, Derek and Sherman are any indication, the same is true of social workers themselves. Leaning on a sturdy foundation of friendship and mutual support, they have each built successful careers in social service, focusing on the varied needs of California’s children.

The Title IV-E program gave me a strong foundation in understanding trauma, child development and family systems. It shaped me into a confident and compassionate mental health professional.

 

Charting Individual Pathways, Together

Like Phillip, Sherman now works in Emergency Response with Napa County’s Department of Child and Family Services, leveraging his training at SFSU and his hands-on experience as a child welfare intern with San Mateo County. Derek and Alberto have charted a slightly different path. After several years supporting child protective services in Napa County, both have since transitioned into the world of behavioral health. Today, they work as therapeutic behavior specialists supporting transitional-aged youth in the East Bay.

Despite the shift, for both Derek and Alberto, the friendships forged and lessons learned during their time at SFSU remain at the heart of their continued success. As Derek says, “the Title IV-E program…gave me a strong foundation in understanding trauma, child development and family systems. It shaped me into a confident and compassionate mental health professional.” And speaking of his dynamic crew of friends, he adds “Graduate school brought us together, but the experiences we have shared–highs and lows, good and bad–-are the glue that’s going to keep us moving forward, together, for years to come.”

Child welfare work is impactful and varied in its professional possibilities, offering a range of career pathways that span county and state agencies, academia, and the non-profit sector. Even so, it can be a strenuous calling, involving long hours, contentious cases, challenging court appearances and more. But as Derek, Alberto, Phillip and Sherman show, navigating these rough waters is far easier when you have a robust support system ready to lend an understanding ear or remind you of your values.

And, of course, when the waters calm and it’s time for a cookout, or when you need some top-notch groomsmen for your wedding, or when you (like Sherman, come November) need a couple of uncles and a godfather to help you welcome a new child of your own, it’s always good to know you have some lifelong friends standing by.

To Learn More

The California Title IV-E Education Program is co-administered by UC Davis CPE Human Services and UCLA’s Luskin School of Public Affairs. This statewide partnership strengthens California’s public child welfare workforce by providing financial support and professional education to social work students across 20 universities.