Job satisfaction among child welfare workers in public and performance-based contracting environments

An increasing number of state governments offer performance-based contracts to private agencies for the delivery of child welfare services; however, little is known about how this system impacts child welfare workers. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to gain a better understanding of frontline workers' employment satisfaction in a state that utilized both public and performance-based systems of care. Qualitative findings revealed that developing positive relationships with families enhanced job satisfaction, whereas workers found administrative responsibilities to be dissatisfying. Quantitative results indicated that private agency workers were more likely to report satisfaction with work environment and extrinsic rewards; however, no statistically significant differences in employment expectation were identified between public and private agency employees.