Abstract
National annual turnover rates of Public Child Welfare (PCW) caseworkers are reported as high as forty-five percent. Public child welfare workforce turnover is associated with a decline in the quality of services provided to families and can hinder family reunification efforts. This study contributes a unique perspective to PCW turnover literature by applying an organizational justice lens to the workforce. Utilizing a concurrent mixed methods research design, this study investigated the relationship between perceptions of the three dimensions of organizational justice (distributive, procedural, and interactional) by California’s Public Child Welfare caseworkers and their intent to leave child welfare. Eighty PCW caseworkers employed throughout California in a child protective services county agency responded to a survey measuring intent to leave child welfare, perceptions of organizational justice, and thoughts about distributive justice, procedural justice, and interactional justice. The findings indicated that all three dimensions of organizational justice were correlated with intent to leave; with distributive justice having the strongest relationship. Further, commitment to the profession and the families served was found to be a mitigating factor in intentions to leave the PCW workforce. Implications for leadership and policy are discussed and recommendations are made in light of the study’s findings.