- Home
- » Management & Supervision
- » Information Systems & Data
- » Using Data to Improve Outcomes for Children, Youth, and Families
Using Data to Improve Outcomes for Children, Youth, and Families
Analyzing data to verify and measure the effectiveness of services helps organizations make informed policy and practice decisions, with the ultimate goal of improving outcomes for the families they serve. The following resources address how the use of data improves outcomes for children, youth, and families, including State and local examples.
Child Welfare Outcomes Report Data
Children's Bureau, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Features a custom report builder that offers access to the most current Child Welfare Outcomes data before the full report is published. The website provides information on the performance of States in seven outcome categories as well as data on contextual factors and findings of analyses conducted across States.
National Resource Center for Child Welfare Data and Technology
Assists State, local, and Tribal child welfare agencies and the courts in improving outcomes for children, youth, and families through the use of data and information technology. Resources include toolkits, webinars, fact sheets, and more.
Advancing Better Outcomes for All Children: Reporting Data Using A Racial Equity Lens (PDF - 138 KB)
Annie E. Casey Foundation (2012)
Describes basic, key features of a data presentation using a racial equality lens and includes a summary checklist. This is a companion piece to the Race Matters Toolkit produced by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
Child Well-Being and the Importance of State-Level Data
Annie E. Casey Foundation
Outlines the reasons a State-level survey of child well-being would be a valuable and cost-effective way to collect data across a range of indicators and track program effectiveness.
Increasing Access to Needed Benefits: The New Technologies (PDF - 290 KB)
Family Strengthening Policy Center, National Human Services Assembly (2005)
Examines the impact of automated systems on families' access to benefits, highlights effective models for improving benefits outreach and access, and suggests strategies and recommendations for harnessing these tools for public benefit.
Information Technology Making a Difference in Children's Lives: An Issue Brief for Leaders for Children
KirkHart, Rothschuh, & Kattlove (2008)
Encourages the incorporation of information and communications technology into public programs serving children by highlighting research and case studies showing how digital tools and applications can improve children's education, health, employment, and civic opportunities.
Results Oriented Management in Child Welfare
University of Kansas School of Social Welfare
Assists child welfare program staff in managing programs and supervising staff to achieve results for children and families within the context of the Adoption and Safe Families Act. Includes 21 modules on policy, data, and evidence-based practice.
Roundtable on Putting Data to Work to Improve Child Well-Being: Post-Convening Report (PDF - 1564 KB)
Casey Family Programs (2007)
Identifies crucial areas in which data use and data sharing have contributed to child welfare policy and performance, summarizes creative programs that use data to drive outcomes and decision-making, and highlights successes achieved by specific jurisdictions.
Taking Action: Keys to Using Data and Information (PDF - 681 KB)
National Child Welfare Resource Center for Organizational Improvement
Child Welfare Matters, Fall/Winter 2010
Highlights different aspects of strong quality improvement systems through which agencies conduct ongoing analyses and take actions that result in improved practice and outcomes.
State and local examples
Alameda County's Foster Care Tracking System: Innovative Use of Technology to Improve Programs (PDF - 281 KB)
Bliss & Speak (2005)
Profiles the successes and challenges of a foster care tracking system used in Alameda County, California, to reduce overpayments, improve accuracy of payments, and track children in the system more effectively.
Camellia Project: A Connected Health and Human Services Framework for Alabama: A Report of Recommendations for the Governor's Task Force to Strengthen Alabama Families (PDF - 3680 KB)
Microsoft Institute for Advanced Technology in Governments & Systems Engineering, Inc. (2007)
Summarizes the results of a study to assess how coordinated agency and program efforts and shared information technology services could assist Alabama to materially increase health and human service outcomes.
Case Studies in Tribal Data Collection and Use (PDF - 3910 KB)
Cross, Fox, Becker-Green, Smith, & Willeto (2004)
Discusses the lack of reliable data on American Indian/Alaska Native children and youth and its impact on their well-being. Presents promising practices in the use of Tribal data to positively influence public policy and funding, and provides a road map for Tribes seeking to collect and use reliable data.
Child Welfare Practice and Data: Making the Connection
North Carolina Division of Social Services & North Carolina Family and Children's Resource Program
Children's Services Practice Notes, 14(2), 2009
Explores how using data can enhance child welfare practice.
From Data... To Outcomes
California Department of Social Services & California Social Work Education Center (2010)
Helps trainers teach county staff, stakeholders, partners, and community organizations about the importance of complete, timely, and accurate data entry and data analysis.
Join Hands for Children Outcome Advisory Committee Recommendations for Domains and Indicators used to Measure Outcomes (PDF - 27 KB)
Join Hands for Children (2010)
Provides measurements to evaluate the performance of public and private child welfare agencies in Washington State in the areas of child safety, permanency, stability, and well-being.
KidBits: Using Data to Drive Better Outcomes for Children and Youth (PDF - 2220 KB)
Children's Advocacy Roundtable, DC Action for Children (2007)
Presents statistics on the well-being of children and youth in the District of Columbia and makes recommendations to improve outcomes in school readiness and success, health, youth opportunity, stable families for children and youth, and youth transitioning to adulthood.
New Jersey Department of Children and Families "Manage by Data" National Promising Practice Findings (PDF - 128 KB)
Northeast and Caribbean Child Welfare Implementation Center (2010)
Describes findings from interviews with five State child welfare agencies that New Jersey will use to develop and introduce a model for turning data into practical information that can improve outcomes for children and families.