Your work. Your records.
Child and School Social Worker Workplace Records
Child, family and school social workers coordinate services across homes, schools and agencies while maintaining sensitive case histories. A workplace concern may involve caseload assignment, supervisory approval or criticism of a report. Identify the employing organization and your actual responsibilities; a school setting or professional title alone does not establish employment-law coverage. Keep the focus on your work relationship rather than the people receiving services.
Call now(800) 800-5555Free initial case evaluation. Representation depends on work state and case eligibility. This guide explains record preparation; it does not determine whether a legal claim exists.
A record map for your role
What to organize first
Authority sequence
Identify your recommendation, the approving role and any changed supervisory instruction relevant to the employment concern.
Workload outline
Describe relevant visits, meetings and documentation duties without including names, addresses or family circumstances.
Own correspondence
Organize your employment review or reassignment notice separately from case notes and protected student or family records.
Start with the work you actually do
Provide social services and assistance to improve the social and psychological functioning of children and their families and to maximize the family well-being and the academic functioning of children. May assist parents, arrange adoptions, and find foster homes for abandoned or abused children. In schools, they address such problems as teenage pregnancy, misbehavior, and truancy. May also advise teachers.
O*NET classifies this occupation as Child, Family, and School Social Workers (21-1021.00). Its description covers a typical occupation, not every workplace or individual job. It does not establish employee status, overtime eligibility or employer misconduct.
- Maintain case history records and prepare reports.Source task 237 · updated 08/2018
- Interview clients individually, in families, or in groups, assessing their situations, capabilities, and problems to determine what services are required to meet their needs.Source task 235 · updated 08/2018
- Serve as liaisons between students, homes, schools, family services, child guidance clinics, courts, protective services, doctors, and other contacts to help children who face problems, such as disabilities, abuse, or poverty.Source task 250 · updated 08/2018
- Develop and review service plans in consultation with clients and perform follow-ups assessing the quantity and quality of services provided.Source task 241 · updated 08/2018
A reference point for your pay records
May 2025 wage estimates by state
Compare your pay records with published BLS estimates for Child, Family, and School Social Workers (SOC 21-1021). These describe an occupation across employers. They are not a required pay rate, an overtime calculation, or evidence of discrimination or unpaid wages.
Select your work state to see its published pay range. No personal pay information is requested or sent.
The 25th and 75th percentiles mark the middle half of the estimated wage distribution; the median is its midpoint. Actual pay can differ with experience, employer, location and duties. Hourly and annual figures are shown as published, without converting one into the other.
All published state estimates for this occupation
| State | Hourly 25th | Hourly median | Hourly 75th | Annual median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $20.14 | $22.43 | $28.64 | $46,660 |
| Alaska | $24.32 | $30.11 | $36.68 | $62,630 |
| Arizona | $22.06 | $24.11 | $27.66 | $50,150 |
| Arkansas | $17.96 | $20.83 | $25.06 | $43,330 |
| Connecticut | $29.82 | $37.97 | $48.32 | $78,970 |
| Delaware | $22.81 | $23.33 | $28.21 | $48,520 |
| Florida | $22.66 | $27.19 | $31.22 | $56,550 |
| Georgia | $20.00 | $22.84 | $28.96 | $47,510 |
| Hawaii | $28.02 | $32.82 | $38.40 | $68,270 |
| Idaho | $23.01 | $28.77 | $35.67 | $59,840 |
| Indiana | $22.49 | $24.27 | $28.66 | $50,470 |
| Iowa | $21.86 | $25.12 | $31.27 | $52,250 |
| Kansas | $23.10 | $26.11 | $29.55 | $54,300 |
| Kentucky | $22.23 | $28.42 | $32.34 | $59,100 |
| Louisiana | $20.02 | $27.31 | $30.44 | $56,800 |
| Maine | $27.27 | $30.43 | $36.84 | $63,290 |
| Michigan | $22.95 | $28.49 | $36.24 | $59,270 |
| Minnesota | $27.17 | $32.43 | $39.29 | $67,450 |
| Mississippi | $19.32 | $22.37 | $25.83 | $46,530 |
| Missouri | $21.30 | $23.33 | $26.80 | $48,520 |
| Montana | $21.82 | $27.30 | $28.61 | $56,780 |
| Nebraska | $21.24 | $22.97 | $26.91 | $47,770 |
| New Hampshire | $24.36 | $34.14 | $38.85 | $71,010 |
| New Mexico | $21.86 | $27.00 | $37.54 | $56,160 |
| New York | $27.04 | $31.30 | $38.23 | $65,100 |
| North Carolina | $23.56 | $28.66 | $32.75 | $59,610 |
| North Dakota | $27.44 | $31.04 | $35.83 | $64,560 |
| Ohio | $22.74 | $24.77 | $29.41 | $51,520 |
| Oklahoma | $19.35 | $21.13 | $25.10 | $43,950 |
| Pennsylvania | $21.49 | $24.43 | $30.52 | $50,820 |
| Rhode Island | $24.41 | $33.59 | $41.24 | $69,870 |
| South Dakota | $22.12 | $24.57 | $28.41 | $51,100 |
| Tennessee | $22.43 | $27.07 | $33.04 | $56,310 |
| Texas | $22.27 | $26.77 | $30.71 | $55,680 |
| Utah | $20.87 | $25.00 | $35.21 | $52,000 |
| Vermont | $28.16 | $32.38 | $36.03 | $67,340 |
| Virginia | $23.85 | $29.49 | $37.75 | $61,330 |
| West Virginia | $21.88 | $25.11 | $28.23 | $52,220 |
| Wisconsin | $23.07 | $28.50 | $33.66 | $59,280 |
| Wyoming | $17.64 | $27.13 | $29.56 | $56,420 |
“Not published” preserves unavailable or suppressed source cells. “Above reporting limit” preserves a top-coded source value without inventing a number. A missing state estimate does not establish service eligibility. The data describe wage and salary employment; they do not measure self-employment income.
Source: BLS May 2025 state workbook · OEWS tables · BLS technical notes. Use your own schedule, pay statement and compensation terms to identify the question you want reviewed.
Distinguish service decisions from supervision
Describe the assignment, your recommendation and the role authorized to approve a plan or change. Record when instructions changed and any request for clarification. If an employment action refers to a case decision, separate your personal observations from others’ reports and from the ultimate agency decision. Do not reproduce a child’s history to demonstrate that you followed an instruction.
Explain workload without client identifiers
Outline the general demands connected to the concern, such as visits, coordination meetings or required report preparation. Use a stated caseload figure only if you can identify its source and are permitted to retain it. For time questions, compare your own entries with relevant work activities. Distinguish missed appointments and travel from the time spent providing services or documenting them.
Leave protected case files in place
Do not copy school records, child-protection materials, family assessments or identifying correspondence into personal storage. Identify the type, date and custodian of a relevant record for a reviewer instead. Keep your own employment notices, job description and permitted supervisory communications. If confidential details appear necessary, obtain guidance on an appropriate review process before sharing them.
Choose your next step
Review the workplace retaliation guide, unpaid wages guide, or discrimination guide if those concerns fit your experience. A job title alone does not establish a claim.
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