Abstract: This article is an action research based on a decade-long professional practice of first private facilitators’ social work agency in China. It sums up the roles and functions of social work in services for migrant workers as follows: the roles are (1) service providers, who are responsible for promoting the integration of migrant workers into urban and rural community life in the process of urbanization, (2) service innovators, who promote the social management service reform in China, (3) capacity builders, who promote the migrant workers’ capacities to participate in social construction,(4) resource coordinators, who promote the reconstruction of migrant workers’ social trust, (5) education advocates, who promote mutual acceptance in the harmonious development of urban and rural population, (6) resource integrators, who promote the mutual support of social groups, (7) researchers, who promote the study of the development of social work of migrant workers, and (8) organizers, who promote the development of civil society organizations; and the functions are (1) to reduce the negative impact of the differences between urban and rural areas, (2) to promote the integration of migrant workers into urban and rural life, (3) to construct urban and rural public welfare culture, and (4) to promote the harmonious development of urbanization. The unique roles and functions of social work in serving migrant workers cannot be replaced by any other profession. Furthermore, this article provides specific recommendations on giving full play to the roles and functions of social work in servicing migrant workers from two perspectives: how to prepare social work professionals who can serve migrant workers, and how to provide service effectively for migrant workers.

Key words: social work; rural migrant workers; role; function; coordinator