Community health workers can have a tremendous impact on health and wellbeing, particularly for the most vulnerable among us. Community-level social service workers are a key part of keeping children and families safe, supported, and healthy.

That’s why, in honor of Social Service Workforce Week, September 21­–25, the Global Social Service Workforce Alliance is focusing each day on the different ways in which vulnerable children and families receive care and assistance through the dedication of community-level workers.

“The roles of child protection workers, child welfare committee members, volunteer children’s officers, parasocial workers, and child and youth care workers are often unclear, misunderstood, taken for granted, and/or underfunded,” says Amy Bess, coordinator for the Global Social Service Workforce Alliance. “But they raise awareness about child protection issues and mobilize communities to prevent and respond to child protection risks within the community. They assess the needs of vulnerable children and households and link them to appropriate services. And they support care reform efforts by supporting family tracing and reintegration for children outside of protective family care.”

Community-level social service workers can help communities become healthier and stronger.

Follow the alliance this week for a new topic each day:

Day 1 (Monday): Learn more about community-level workers and check out the alliance’s Guiding Principles for the Development of ParaProfessional Social Service Workers.

Day 2 (Tuesday): Worldwide, violence against and exploitation of children have significant health and social consequences. But community workers can prevent and address this issue.

Day 3 (Wednesday): Community-level social service workers can help communities become healthier and stronger. In Nigeria, one takes his work to heart.

Day 4 (Thursday): Community-level workers can help promote family-based care and care reform.

Day 5 (Friday): The alliance will release a full document, including a competency framework, highlighting the role of community-level workers.S

tay tuned to the Global Social Service Workforce Alliance blog to find out more.

IntraHealth International serves as the host and fiscal sponsor of the alliance.