National Resource Center for Child Welfare Data and Technology

Who We Are

The National Resource Center for Child Welfare Data and Technology (NRC-CWDT) provides assistance to States to develop, implement, and improve effective case management and data collection systems and to use data to enable State child welfare agencies, courts and tribes to manage child welfare programs in order to improve outcomes for children and families. The NRC-CWDT provides technical assistance in the use of data to meet the reporting requirements of the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) and to meet the goals of the Adoption and Safe Families Act, the Child and Family Services Reviews, and other Federal, State, and local legislative requirements, policies and initiatives. The Center, through our website and other means, also provides for the dissemination of best practices around automation issues such as the development and implementation of Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information Systems (SACWIS). NRC-CWDT, as a service of the Children's Bureau, helps States, Tribes and courts to assure the quality of data collected, provide staff at all levels with appropriate information, and build the capacity to use the information for decision-making in daily practice.

How We Can Help

The Center addresses a broad range of program and technical issues, including assisting States with their Child and Family Services Review (CFSR) process, Program Improvement Plans, Tribal and court child welfare issues, and other areas related to data and automation. Assistance may include:

Training
The Center provides training on data use and data management at all levels. This includes the development of customized training curricula and materials, the delivery of training to key staff, and training of trainers to promote system-wide improvements in understanding and using data in policy and practice.

Administrative Use of Data
Administrative staff may need to analyze and use data in planning, evaluation, and system improvement efforts and to respond to numerous stakeholder groups. Staff from the Center can assist States in developing their capacity to analyze data for administrative use.

AFCARS Toolkit
The AFCARS Toolkit, which is available on-line at http://www.nrccwdt.org or free of charge as a CD-ROM, provides links to key materials and documents related to the collection of quality adoption and foster care data that can be used to address policy development and program management issues at the State and Federal level.

AFCARS Assistance
The Center provides assistance around AFCARS, which can be tailored according to States' needs. This can entail a full Program Logic and/or Mapping Documentation Review or a more administrative level AFCARS Overview and Review of Federal Definitions and Policy Guidance.

Coordinating Peer Consultation
The Center can coordinate consultation among States with similar issues. This can take place through informal exchange of information or through a structured process involving on-site, facilitated meetings. More information about peer consultation can also be found on our website http://www.nrccwdt.org.

Supporting States in the CFSR Process
The Resource Center is able to help in a number of ways, including: preparation for and use of the State Data Profile; resolution of data sources, quality and interpretation related to outcome measures; evaluating enhancements required to information systems in the context of the PIP; and consultation on benchmarks and improvement measures during PIP development and implementation.

For More Information

Address:	National Resource Center for Child Welfare Data and Technology 2345 Crystal Drive Suite 250 Arlington, VA 22202
Phone:	(877) 672-4829 (toll free)
E-Mail:	nrccwdt@cwla.org
Web site:	http://www.nrccwdt.org
Contact:	Lynda Arnold, Director (877) 672-4829

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