Today’s headlines are flooded with stories of abused and neglected children. If you long to be an advocate for children, an online social work degree may be the key to improving—and in some cases, saving—the lives of American children.

An online Master of Social Work (MSW) program can help you acquire the skills you need—on your own schedule without the need to travel to a classroom—to provide a safe environment for these children to start the healing process.

Children Need Good Social Workers

According to the Children’s Bureau of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, around 546,000 children in the United States suffered documented abuse or neglect in 2023. An estimated 2,000 children died from this abuse and neglect.¹

These sobering facts highlight the need for social workers—often the first line of defense for mistreated children. Backed by a Master of Social Work acquired from an on-campus or online social work degree program, you could help this vulnerable population by removing them from life-threatening situations.

An online MSW program won’t just get you the education you need to help children; it will help you enter a growing field. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of social workers is expected to grow 6% between 2024 and 2034.² What does that mean for new Master of Social Work graduates? More jobs—and more opportunities to help kids.

What You’ll Learn in an Online MSW Program

Once you enter an online social work degree program, you’ll start building skills that will enable you to apply social work theory and methods to assess and intervene in situations involving individuals, families, and groups. Your Master of Social Work curriculum will supply you with the working knowledge to help marginalized and oppressed populations—young and old, children and adults—work to achieve social equality and improve their quality of life. An online MSW program will give you the freedom to pursue your Master of Social Work on your own time, without the need to drive to a campus, find parking, or hurry to class. Discover how Walden’s online MSW program can help you assist children who need it most.

Walden University is an accredited institution offering an online Master of Social Work (MSW) degree program with five focus areas. Expand your career options and earn your degree in a convenient online format that fits your busy life.

¹https://acf.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cb/cm2023.pdf

²www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/social-workers.htm

Walden University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, www.hlcommission.org.