The fellowship program is funded by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and is running through 5 public universities.
It provides college students studying social work 5,000 dollars per semester.
Anna Yelick [YELL-ick] is the Director of the Child Welfare Program at Western Michigan University. She says the shortage has been taking a toll on those in the field.
“They're trying to help everybody else, and that really creates this system of scarcity. It creates a system of overworking, under appreciation, and it impacts the workforce for sure.”
Yelick says in exchange for 5,000 dollars a semester, students must work for 4 months in child welfare services. She says the more money students take, the more time they have to work in the field.