Cultivating new child welfare supervisors: Six tips to help them succeed

Kendra Lowden, EdD Candidate, MS

Director of Leadership and Tribal Initiatives

December 17th, 2024

Image featuring three women walking together in an outdoor setting. They wear traditional Indigenous attire and hold colorful sashes. The background includes trees and a building, suggesting a community environment.

Child welfare professionals are trained to handle crises quickly. They regularly receive training on new or updated policies and practices. But even with all this knowledge, some may not yet have the experience or support to feel prepared to become a supervisor. This happened to me when I moved into a program management role in a large Tribal child welfare program.

I was in my mid-20s and didn’t expect to be asked to oversee a foster care unit. My leaders saw potential in me and believed I could do well in this role. After thinking about it, I decided to take the promotion to keep improving services for children and families. Overnight, I became a child welfare supervisor.

Potawatomi scientist Robin Wall Kimmerer’s book Braiding Sweetgrass talks about the connection between humans and the land. She writes about puhpowee, a Potawatomi word that means the supernatural force that makes a mushroom push up from the ground overnight. When I learned this word, I felt it described my own quick growth into a supervisor.

Puhpowee is a result of the interconnectedness of all living things. The mushroom offers an excellent example of this. The conditions of the environment have to be just right for the mushroom to grow and thrive. This in turn allows the mushroom to provide the nutrients needed for animals to flourish.

Similarly, child welfare professionals need space to grow so they can provide support to the next generation of leaders. Growth needs to be nurtured.

Keep these tips in mind as you work to create an environment where new leaders can grow and thrive:

Recognize potential early: Look for people in your organization who demonstrate leadership qualities such as strong communication skills, visionary thinking, and cultural humility. Spend time building a relationship with them through coaching or mentorship.
Provide training opportunities: Future leaders need chances to learn new information and improve their skills. Invest in training that prepares them for leadership roles.
Create growth opportunities: Emerging leaders need more than just training to gain confidence and experience. Give them a chance to organize a big meeting or lead a new project. Make sure these tasks align with their unique skill set.
Promote work-life balance: Child welfare work is very stressful and can cause emotional fatigue. Make a plan with emerging and new leaders to ensure they prioritize a healthy work-life balance.
Encourage innovation and creativity: Create an environment where new leaders can share their unique ideas and solutions. This creates a culture of innovation and continuous improvement.
Be culturally responsive: Learn about your team members’ cultural backgrounds. Understanding their values and traditions can help you support them better in their leadership journey.

Looking back on my career in child welfare, I wish my transition into a leadership role hadn’t been so abrupt. By keeping these ideas in mind, we can create a better work environment across the country for new and emerging leaders.

And if your agency needs help implementing these practices? Take a look at CWEL’s RiseUp Fellowship and other strategies and see if CWEL can come alongside your organization to create a more sustainable workplace for your team.