Individual and organizational factors in job retention in Kentucky's child welfare agency

A major concern in the field of child welfare continues to be the high rate of employee turnover. The purpose of this research was to examine a variety of individual and organizational factors that differentiate leavers from the stayers in child welfare using a prospective design and data from the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS). The results of this study show that the stayers (N = 448) and leavers (N = 275) in this child welfare agency did not differ in their gender, race, or cumulative G.P.A. MSWs were more likely to leave the agency and employees with majors other than psychology or social work were more likely to stay. Stayers reported being more attached to their supervisors and receiving more guidance. Rural workers also perceived greater support from their supervisors than did urban workers. Implications for practice are discussed.