health care social workers. This increase is faster than the 7 percent average for all occupations, demonstrating a substantial need for social workers in our Nation. (4) Social work salaries, on average, are among the lowest for all occupations in the United States and for those with master’s level education in particular. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual income for social workers in 2015 was $45,900. (5) The report titled 2014 Statistics on Social Work Education in the United States by the Council on Social Work Education stated that 78.7 percent of students graduating from Master of Social Work programs incurred debt to earn their graduate degree. The average debt for a Master of Social Work degree was approximately $40,616. (6) Social workers often deal with the most vulnerable clients in emotional or traumatic situations, and face possible danger as a result. The National Association of Social Workers Center for Workforce Studies found that 44 percent of survey respondents faced personal safety issues on the job. In 2015, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration reported that 75 percent of workplace assaults that occurred between 2011 and 2013 took place in the health care and social services industries. (7) The Alzheimer’s Association of America states that 5.4 million Americans, or 1 in every 9 individuals over the age of 65, have Alzheimer’s disease. Social workers in gerontology settings work with older adults, including those with dementia, to support their physiological, psychological, and social needs through mental health therapy, caregiver and family counseling, health education, program coordination, and case management. (8) The Children’s Defense Fund states that every 47 seconds a child is confirmed as abused or neglected and every 5 1/2 hours a child is killed from abuse or neglect. The Administration for Children and Families of the Department of Health and Human Services states that 415,000 children were in the United States foster care system in 2014.