Child Welfare Monitoring

In order to help States achieve positive outcomes for children and families, the Children's Bureau monitors State child welfare services through the Child and Family Services Reviews (CFSRs), Title IV-E Foster Care Eligibility Reviews, the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS), and the Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System (SACWIS) Assessment Reviews.

Child and Family Services Reviews (CFSRs)

The Child and Family Services Reviews are designed to enable the Children's Bureau to ensure that State child welfare agency practice is in conformity with Federal child welfare requirements, to determine what is actually happening to children and families as they are engaged in State child welfare services, and to assist States to enhance their capacity to help children and families achieve positive outcomes.

Overview of CFSR Process

• General Information - Includes 2007-2010 CFSR information, factsheets, tentative schedule, and the Child and Family Service Reviews Update.
• Legislation and Policy Related to the CFSRs - Child Welfare Final Rule, Adoption and Safe Families Act, policy issuances, and national standards.
• Instruments, Tools, and Guides for the CFSRs - Procedures manual, CFSR instruments, and planning documents.

Participating in CFSRs

• Child and Family Services Reviews Factsheet - Explains the history, purpose, and process of the CFSRs. (PDF - 24 KB)
• Consultant Recruitment - The Children's Bureau, through the Child Welfare Review Project, recruits and trains child welfare professionals to serve as reviewers to supplement the Federal review team.
• Consultant Reviewer Qualifications - Minimum and preferred consultant requirements are included.
• Consultant Responsibilities - Substantive preparation and participation responsibilities, logistical and planning responsibilities, consultant compensation, consultant selection for participation in a review, and further considerations are included.
• Consultant Profile Form - Form to be filled out and submitted as part of the application process. (PDF - 44 KB)
• Cross-State Participants Program - This program provides State child welfare agency representatives with the opportunity to participate in the onsite component of a Child and Family Services Review before their own State child welfare review.
• Cross-State Participants Responsibilities - General responsibilities for the Cross-State participant (CSP) review team members.
• State Team Training - Information about the training provided for State review team members. (PDF - 22 KB)

Results and Reports

Results

• Reports and Results of the 1st and 2nd Rounds of the Child and Family Services Reviews - The following reports are available by State: Preliminary Assessments, Statewide Assessments, CFSR Final Reports, Program Improvement Plans (PIPs), and Individual Key Findings Reports.

• Table of Data Indicators for the Child and Family Services Reviews (January 2007) (PDF - 32 KB) and Table with Composite Weights (updated January 2007) (PDF - 20 KB) – Revised tables and national standards for the CFSR data indicators.

• "52 Program Improvement Plans: Strategies for Improving Child Welfare Services and Outcomes" (PPT - 445 KB) - This PowerPoint Presentation highlights findings from the Program Improvement Plans completed by all 50 States, Washington DC and Puerto Rico.

• Compiled Results of the Fiscal Years 2001 - 2004 Child and Family Services Reviews - The compiled results of the Child and Family Services Reviews completed in this time period.

Reports

• Assessing Promising Approaches in Child Welfare: Strategies for State Legislators (PDF - 195 KB) - Designed to encourage State legislators and legislative staff to work collaboratively with State child welfare administrators when considering best practices during child welfare reform efforts, especially those associated with the Child and Family Services Reviews (CFSRs). It offers information on how State legislators and legislative staff can effectively consider the appropriateness of promising child welfare approaches in relation to the program improvements being made through the CFSRs.

• Engaging State Legislators in the Federal Child and Family Services Reviews: An Information-Sharing Tool for Child Welfare Agency Administrators - A tool for keeping legislators informed about the State's performance on the latest Child and Family Services Review, Program Improvement Plan (PIP) goals and achievements, PIP partners, and areas requiring legislative support. It is designed to be adapted for use by each State. (Word - 232 KB)  (PDF - 187 KB)

• Supporting Improvements in Child Welfare Systems Through the Child and Family Services Reviews: A Resource for State Legislators - Provides key questions for State legislators and their staff to ask State child welfare agencies about the Child and Family Services Review process. The document is designed as a tool for enhancing relationships between State child welfare administrators and State legislators who have child welfare agency oversight responsibility.

• Legislative Brief: Child Welfare Caseworker Visits with Children and Parents - Presents background information about caseworker visits, including the elements that comprise quality visits. It also offers questions that legislators and their staff can use to facilitate a dialogue about caseworker visits with their child welfare agency administrators. (PDF - 344 KB)

• State Child Welfare Legislation: 2006 - Describes some of the State legislation related to child welfare issues that was enacted during calendar year 2006. It includes citations and summaries of specific child-welfare-related laws in each State. (PDF - 726 KB)

• Strategies That Address Critical Practice Areas: Successes and Challenges in Implementation (PPT - 282 KB)

• Funding of Child and Family Service Reviews Program Improvement Plans - This report desscribes how some States are using new resources or are re-allocating existing resources for Program Improvement Plan (PIP) implementation following the first round of child and family service reviews.

• Focusing on Child Welfare Systems: Collaborating With State Legislators on Reform This report offers State child welfare agency administrators information on effective strategies for using the child and family services reviews to work more closely with legislators to improve child welfare systems. This report covers the importance of legislative engagement in child welfare and strategies for building partnerships with State legislators and engaging them in the reviews.

• The Child and Family Services Reviews: The Role of State Legislators and Focusing on Child Welfare Systems: The Role of State Legislators - This report offers legislators information on using the CFSRs to enhance their role in supporting State child welfare agency administrators in creating effective child welfare policies and practices. The reports discuss the CFSRs as a resource for legislators, and offer strategies that legislators can use to become involved in the reviews. The report is also available in a three-page brief format.

Promising Approaches

• Promising Approaches - Information about innovative efforts in child welfare implemented by the States to meet the needs of children and families. These approaches are recognized as potential contributions toward good child welfare practice.

Special Commentary - Presentations and comments by Children's Bureau and other Federal staff.

• Partners in Progress: Improving Outcomes Through Systemic Change, Presentation by Joan Ohl, Annual Meeting of States and Tribes. January 28, 2003.
• Changing the Culture of the Workplace - Comments by Jerry Milner, Closing Plenary Session, Annual Meeting of States and Tribes. January 29, 2003.

Title IV-E Foster Care Eligibility Reviews

The reviews of the Federal Title IV-E Foster Care Program focus on determining whether children in foster care meet the statutory eligibility requirements for foster care maintenance payments.

• Title IV-E Foster Care Eligibility Review Guide - Contains suggestions and guidance on planning, conducting, and completing a foster care eligibility review. (PDF - 637 KB) (WORD - 1,580 KB)
• Title IV-E Foster Care Eligibility On-Site Review Instrument – The instrument completed during the on-site Title IV-E Foster Care Eligibility Reviews. (PDF - 234 KB) (WORD - 281 KB)
• Title IV-E Foster Care Eligibility On-site Review Instrument (Spanish version) - A Spanish-language version of the instrument completed during the on-site Title IV-E Foster Care Eligibility Reviews. (PDF - 398 KB) (WORD - 630 KB)
• Children's Bureau Program Assessment for Child and Family Services Reviews and Title IV-E Foster Care Eligibility Reviews Factsheet - Information on the history, purpose, and process of the Child and Family Services Reviews as well as a summary of Title IV-E reviews.
• Title IV-E Legislation/Policy - Information about legislation and policy related to the Title IV-E reviews.
• Title IV-E State Reports - Following the onsite review, the ACF Regional Office prepares a Final Report containing the review results; a summary of the errors and the cases in error; strengths and model practices revealed during the review; and weaknesses or deficiencies that need to be addressed in the Program Improvement Plan (PIPs). Copies of PIPs released to-date are provided.
• Title IV-E Foster Care Eligibility Fact Sheet - Explains the history, purpose, and process of the IV-E Review process. (PDF - 25 KB)

Participating in the Title IV-E Foster Care Eligibility Reviews

• Title IV-E Foster Care Eligibility Review Schedules - A listing of when States are scheduled to be reviewed.
• IV-E Review Project - An overview of the activities managed by the IV-E Review Project.
• Peer Recruitment - The Children's Bureau, through the IV-E Project, recruits and trains child welfare professionals to serve as reviewers to supplement the Federal review team. (PDF - 21 KB)
• Title IV-E Foster Care Eligibility Reviews Update - A newsletter distributed periodically by email and designed for professionals interested in the Children's Bureau title IV-E foster care eligibility reviews. Volume 1, Issue 1, December 2005 is now available.

Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) Assessment Reviews

The Children's Bureau has developed an assessment review process for the purpose of more fully assessing and evaluating States' AFCARS. AFCARS data is used throughout the CFSR process.

• 2006-2007 AFCARS Assessment Review Schedule - Dates that States are scheduled for reviews.
• State AFCARS Assessment Review Reports by Fiscal Year - A listing of State reports by Federal fiscal year.
• State Guide - Helps States prepare for an AFCARS assessment review and provides more detailed information on the AFCARS assessment review process.
• The AFCARS Reports - AFCARS reports to date.

Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System (SACWIS) Assessment Reviews

After a State's child welfare automated system is operational for a approximately 1 year, the Division of State Systems (DSS) conducts a review to assess the system's functionality. SACWIS data is used to support AFCARS and the CFSR process.

• SACWIS Assessment Review Process - General information about the SACWIS review process.
• SACWIS Assessment Review Guide  (PDF - 552KB) or (Word - 890KB) - In order for states to prepare for the review, and provide DSS with background information, they complete the SACWIS Assessment Review Guide, which is typically submitted at least 6 weeks prior to the onsite review.

Other Related Links

• Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System (SACWIS) - General information about SACWIS, including meetings and conferences and Federal guidance.

• CFSP/APSR Toolkit - This toolkit is designed to create a central location for all technical assistance documents and materials, as well as references to specific laws, policies, and checklists that relate to the development of the State and Tribal Child and Family Service Plan (CFSP)/Annual Progress and Services Report (APSR).