Improving Workforce Retention in Child Welfare: Examining the Mediating Role of Job Satisfaction

Background and Purpose:
High turnover in child welfare undermines service continuity and negatively impacts outcomes for children and families. Prior research has emphasized the importance of empowerment, leadership, and professional support, yet few studies have examined how these organizational factors interact to influence retention. This study investigates the role of job satisfaction as a mediating factor between empowerment, leadership, learning culture, and retention. Guided by empowerment theory, organizational support theory, and transformational leadership theory, we identify pathways that can inform retention strategies in child welfare systems.

Methods:
Data were drawn from the National Child Welfare Workforce Institute’s (NCWWI) Comprehensive Organizational Health Assessment (COHA), encompassing responses from 2,197 professionals across 13 voluntary child welfare agencies in a northeastern U.S. state. The sample included administrative staff, caseworkers, and clinical professionals, with representation across rural, suburban, and urban regions. A partial least squares structural equation model (PLS-SEM) was employed to assess the relationships among latent variables: empowerment (a second-order construct including trust, self-determination, meaning, self-efficacy, and personal consequence), leadership, learning culture, job satisfaction, and retention (intent to stay in the field). Bootstrapping with 5,000 iterations was used to assess statistical significance, and reliability estimates (Cronbach’s α) ranged from .80 to .96 for key measures.

Results:
Empowerment was a strong predictor of job satisfaction (β = .64, p < .001) and leadership perceptions (β = .64, p < .001), though its direct effect on retention was not significant. However, job satisfaction significantly mediated the relationship between empowerment and retention (β = .53, p < .001). Learning culture and leadership also positively influenced job satisfaction, but did not show direct effects on retention. Professional sharing and support modestly contributed to both job satisfaction (β = .10, p < .01) and retention (β = .04, p < .05). Possessing a social work degree was also associated with higher retention (β = .08, p < .001). Interestingly, workplace discrimination did not significantly predict retention in this model, suggesting its impact may be moderated by other organizational supports.

Conclusions and Implications:
Findings underscore the central role of empowerment and job satisfaction in promoting retention in child welfare. Agencies should invest in practices that enhance caseworker autonomy, self-efficacy, and trust in leadership, including participatory decision-making and role clarity. Leadership development, professional mentoring, and the cultivation of a learning-oriented culture can indirectly support retention by improving job satisfaction. Though discrimination was not a significant predictor in this model, inclusive policies remain vital for fostering equitable workplaces. This study offers empirical guidance for administrators, policymakers, and trainers aiming to reduce turnover and strengthen child welfare systems through strategic workforce investments.