Home > Child Welfare Monitoring > General Information > Child and Family Services Reviews Update > Volume 1, Issue 1, September 2004

Child and Family Services Reviews Update

 

Volume 1, Issue 2, October 2004

Compilation and Analysis of Review Findings Is Released

As of April 2004, all States, as well as Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia, had undergone an onsite child and family services review (CFSR). For the first time, the findings from these reviews have been compiled and analyzed by the Children's Bureau and are available on the Children's Bureau Web site. This analysis of State performance on the seven outcomes and seven systemic factors evaluated during the reviews provides a national picture of child welfare performance.

Analyses were conducted at both the State and case levels. The State-level analysis looks at performance on the outcomes and systemic factors across the States, examines the relationship between the two, and identifies common challenges faced by the States. The findings show that only a small number of States achieved substantial conformity with any of the seven outcomes and that no State achieved substantial conformity with Permanency Outcome 1 (Children have permanency and stability in their living situations) or Well-Being Outcome 1 (Families have enhanced capacity to provide for children's needs). A majority of States achieved substantial conformity with five of the seven systemic factors reviewed. Fewer States were found in substantial conformity, however, with the Case Review System and Service Array factors.

The case-level analysis provides a description of the cases reviewed (i.e., inhome or foster care case, race/ethnicity/gender of the children involved, the permanency goal of foster children, the reason for case opening, and the type of review site). The relationship of these characteristics to the outcomes also is examined.

Following the completion of their onsite reviews, States began developing and implementing Program Improvement Plans (PIPs). As of September 30, 2004, 41 PIPs had been approved by the Administration for Children and Families and several States had completed or were nearing completion of their PIPs. The CFSR structure provides for re-reviews following States' completion of their PIPs. The Children's Bureau has not yet released the schedule for the re-reviews.

The full text of the findings and related analyses is available at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/cwmonitoring/results/index.htm.

The Child and Family Services Reviews Update is designed for professionals interested in the Children's Bureau child and family services reviews. It is supported by the Children's Bureau, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and published by the Child Welfare Review Project, which is managed by Johnson, Bassin & Shaw, Inc. For more information, contact the Child Welfare Review Project by e-mail at cw@jbs1.com or by telephone at (301) 565-3260.