Collaborative

The North Carolina Child Welfare Education Collaborative (NC-CWEC) is a unique statewide partnership focused on strengthening child welfare services in North Carolina by increasing the number of well-training and highly committed BSWs and MSWs in local departments of social services. Established in 1999, East Carolina University was one of the first three universities to offer the Collaborative to students. Since that time the program has expanded and is now available at 21 social work programs across the state. Although financial support in the form of stipends is no longer being available to students, the opportunity for participating students to receive their North Carolina Child Welfare Pre-Service Training Certificate upon graduation continues.

Administered by the Jordan Institute for Families at UNC-CH under contract with the North Carolina Division of Social Services, each participating social work program has an identified “Liaison” with State Collaborative and is the person to contact for more information. At ECU, this is School of Social Work faculty member Beth Osborne. Students interested in participating in the Collaborative at ECU are asked to contact Mrs. Osborne prior to applying. She can be reached at osbornee@ecu.edu or (252)328-2480.

Additional Information:

BSW students applying to participate in the Collaborative must agree to complete the approved child welfare pre-service curriculum and coursework identified for ECU.

• BSW students are eligible to apply to the Collaborative during Spring semester of their Junior/Tier 2 classes.
• Applications are submitted on-line and are then reviewed the State Collaborative Office and ECU.
• Following application approval, BSW Collaborative students must successfully complete SOCW 4506 Child Welfare Theory and Practice, receiving a final grade no lower than a B. (*Please note that this course is currently offered only once a year during Fall semester.)
• BSW Collaborative students must complete their field placement in a local NC Department of Social Services agency in child welfare services, receiving a final grade no lower than a B in SOCW 4990.
• BSW Collaborative students must complete the Transfer of Learning Activities as a component of their field placement and discuss these with their Field Instructor.

MSW students applying to participate in the Collaborative must agree to complete the approved child welfare pre-service curriculum and coursework identified for ECU.

• Admitted MSW students are eligible to apply to the Collaborative prior to their MSW II field placement being finalized.
• Applications are submitted on-line and are reviewed by the State Collaborative Office and ECU.
• MSW Collaborative students must complete their field placement in a local NC Department of Social Services agency in child welfare services, receiving a final grade no lower than a B in both SOCW 6950 and SOCW 6960.
• MSW Collaborative students must complete the Transfer of Learning Activities as a component of their field placement and discuss these with their Field Instructor.

For additional information about the North Carolina Education Collaborative please visit: https://www.ncdhhs.gov/divisions/social-services/child-welfare-services/child-welfare-education-collaborative-cwec