WS Chronicle

Forsyth County Department of Social Services (FCDSS) celebrated its social workers with a special appreciation luncheon held on Thursday, March 5.

Family and Children’s Services Division held the event in recognition of Social Work Month, which is a time to spotlight social workers and their contributions to society. The event was a lunchtime treat for the division’s many social workers with games, prizes, food and fellowship. 

“This is a small token of our appreciation for everything you do on a day-to-day basis,” said Family and Children’s Services Director John Thacker. “Protecting the welfare of children is paramount, and you rise to the occasion every day.”

The mission of Family and Children’s Services is to encourage and provide for the safety, well being, and permanence of children by supporting and enhancing family systems. It employs 117 social workers and its services include adoption and foster care, child protective services and family counseling. The division currently has 628 active cases through Child Protective Services and 248 children in foster care.

FCDSS Director Victor Isler said that he knows it’s a rewarding profession that can be both complex and challenging. He said the agency-wide vacancy rate has dropped more than 50% since he became director in April 2018. He said FCDSS is working hard to support and retain its social workers. 

“When our vacancy rate is low, what that means is that the work rigor is not as impactful because there are people working shoulder to shoulder, sharing the load,” said Isler.

There are almost 700,000 social workers in the United States. March was first officially recognized as National Social Work Month in 1984 and this year’s theme is “Social Workers: Generation Strong.”