Qualitative research on the work experience of caseworkers at child protection agencies during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explore the work experience of caseworkers at child protection agencies during the COVID-19 pandemic. Six caseworkers from child protection agencies in Daejeon City were selected as participants and in-depth interviews were conducted. The collected data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The analysis yielded three themes and 10 subthemes. The three themes derived were “urgent problems to resolve amid the spread of infectious diseases,” “exhaustion of caseworkers who struggled to change work environments,” and “measures to effectively respond to infectious diseases in the field of practice.” Based on the results, the study suggested preparing non-face-to-face visit plans for children who entered the facility separate from their parents, improving the rigid organizational culture, and expanding services to prevent the exhaustion of caseworkers.