Rural Child Welfare Practice: Experiences of Burnout and Commitment From Child Protective Services Workers and Supervisors

Sarah Parmenter, Olivia D. Chang, Kathryn Maguire-Jack, Yujeong Chang, Erna Chiu, Yanghyun Park, The Ohio Colleges of Medicine Government Resource Center, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, School of Social Work, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, College of Social Work, The Ohio State University

Child Maltreatment

Published online on July 31, 2026

Abstract

Child Maltreatment, Ahead of Print.
Rural child welfare agencies face persistent workforce challenges, yet little research has examined how these workers navigate burnout while sustaining commitment to their profession. Through in-depth qualitative interviews with 27 caseworkers and ...