STUDY OF CASEWORKER EDUCATION REIMBURSEMENT
(a)The department shall study the effect that providing…#
(a) The department shall study the effect that providing reimbursement for certain educational expenses would have on recruiting and retaining qualified child protective services caseworkers. The study must include a comparative analysis of the cost of training new caseworkers and the benefits of having an experienced caseworker staff with the cost of providing reimbursement for educational expenses.
(b)In determining the cost of reimbursing caseworkers for…#
(b) In determining the cost of reimbursing caseworkers for educational expenses, the department shall consider reimbursing caseworkers for tuition, academic fees, and other academic expenses the caseworker paid to an institution of higher education or a private or independent institution of higher education, as those terms are defined by Section 61.003 , Education Code, while the caseworker was enrolled in a bachelor's degree or advanced degree program in an academic program that the department determines provides necessary training for child protective services caseworkers.