NCJ Number
199089
Date Published
June 2001
Length
72 pages
Annotation
As part of the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being -- the first national longitudinal study of children and families involved with the child welfare system -- this report provides a cross-sectional national overview of child welfare services as reported by 46 State administrators who participated in the State Agency Discussion Guide interview.
Abstract
Data were analyzed within four major categories: factors that affect child welfare policies and services, child welfare agency organization and service delivery, and the future of child welfare. Two-thirds of the respondents reported that the Adoption and Safe Families Act has resulted in enhancements or changes in at least one of the following four areas: child safety, permanency, collaboration with the courts, and data collection. Although there have always been informal collaborations to provide services to clients and their families, administrators report an increased emphasis on formal collaborations between agencies and groups that provide services to those children and families served by child welfare agencies. Respondents report increasing participation in multidisciplinary teams. The innovative programs involve many more partners, including families, and they begin at an earlier stage in the assessment of children and families. State administrators identified several areas of concern about the future of child welfare, including insufficient funding, increasingly complex caseloads, and workforce issues (e.g., high turnover, low salaries, and inadequate training). The promising developments in child welfare included the following: an increasing emphasis on prevention and early intervention, increased collaboration with other service providers, greater involvement of families in decision-making, and increased emphasis on evaluation and outcomes. The findings suggest that although States are facing similar challenges, they are using various strategies to address them. This report will be useful to State and local child welfare agencies as they evaluate and consider the implementation of new service delivery systems, innovative practice models, and the experiences of other States related to recent changes in Federal legislation and policy. 5 tables, 27 references, and appended discussion guide, descriptions of innovative programs, and a list of State liaison officers