SUPERVISOR

Role in the System

Supervisors are the middle-managers of CPS. You rarely see them, but they sign off on removals and approve petitions. They don’t meet your child, they don’t investigate, they validate whatever the caseworker typed into the file. Their signatures transform biased notes into “official” state actions, making them the gatekeepers of removal and permanency.

Core Functions

Review and approve caseworker documentation.

Authorize removals, reunification plans, and changes to case direction.

Monitor compliance with agency policies, federal guidelines, and timelines.

Provide oversight to caseworkers who often carry 20–30 cases each.

Push timelines to hit federal performance metrics (12-month reunification, 15-month TPR).

Education

Typically hold a Bachelor’s or Master’s in Social Work, Criminal Justice, or Public Administration.

Promoted from caseworker positions; trained in policy enforcement, not family advocacy.

Average Salary

CPS Supervisors typically earn between $65,000 and $80,000 per year, depending on state and tenure. In some jurisdictions, senior supervisors earn more than $90,000.

Impact on Families

Supervisors are the invisible hand guiding your case. They never meet you, yet their approval decides whether your child stays home or is removed. Their job isn’t truth — it’s protecting the agency, hitting federal timelines, and keeping funding streams flowing. Families often lose custody not because of evidence, but because a supervisor rubber-stamped biased notes into a permanent record.