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Child Welfare Reform

Reform efforts are fundamental changes involving the implementation of multipronged strategies to achieve set outcomes. Child welfare reform efforts usually focus on enhancing safety, permanency, and well-being for children and families and may encompass changes in policies, procedures, funding, or service delivery structure.

These efforts may be undertaken in a local agency, a statewide child welfare system, or at a national level. They may address the entire child welfare system or major parts of the system, such as child protective services or out-of-home care. Whatever their goal or focus, child welfare reform efforts are intended to improve service delivery and achieve better outcomes.

• Child protective services and prevention reform
• Foster care and adoption reform
• Reform based on Federal initiatives
• Reform based on litigation
• Fiscal reform
• Engaging families in systems reform
• State and local examples

	National Child Welfare Resource Center for Organizational Improvement Offers training and technical assistance to improve management and operations, bolster organizational capacity, promote service integration, and develop supervisory and management systems; also coordinates, facilitates, and evaluates onsite training and technical assistance across the National Resource Centers.

Child Welfare Summit: Looking to the Future: An Examination of the State of Child Welfare and Recommendations for Action (PDF - 479 KB)
Center for the Study of Social Policy & Center for Community Partnerships in Child Welfare (2003)
Summarizes the findings of a summit on child welfare reform to identify current challenges and review promising solutions that will ensure safety and permanency for children.

Community Organization of Services to Deal With and End Child Abuse
Chadwick (2002)
In The APSAC Handbook on Child Maltreatment (2nd ed.)
View Abstract
Describes the National Call to Action to End Child Abuse, which endeavors to end child abuse within 20 years.

Crossroads: New Directions in Social Policy
American Public Human Services Association (2001)
View Abstract
Identifies Federal policies and programs, including those related to child welfare, that should be modified to improve States' ability to meet the needs of poor families more effectively.

CWLA 2005 Legislative Agenda/Priorities
Child Welfare League of America (2005)
Outlines CWLA's legislative agenda and priorities for children's issues for 2005.

Innovations in Child Welfare From Across America: A Special Report by the Editor of Child Protection Report
Child Protection Report (2004)
View Abstract
Describes innovative approaches to address housing, health care, court procedures, childcare, and mental health care for children and families.

Innovative Practices With Vulnerable Children and Families
Sallee, Lawson, & Briar-Lawson (Eds.) (2001)
View Abstract
Provides an overview of systems changes that will improve the effectiveness of child welfare services.

Reforming the Child Welfare System: Competing Paradigms of Change
Cohen
Children and Youth Services Review, 27(6), 2005
View Abstract
Identifies four traditions of social planning and social change and relates them to approaches to reforming child welfare.

Resident Engagement and Leadership to Improve Results for Children and Youth, Families and Communities: An International Toolkit (PDF - 1200 KB)
Center for the Study of Social Policy International Initiative for Children, Youth, and Families (2004)
Describes efforts to involve community members in child welfare projects all over the world.

What Hurts and What Helps: Listening to Families to Build 21st Century Child Welfare Reforms
Briar-Lawson & Wiesen (2001)
In Innovative Practices With Vulnerable Children and Families
View Abstract
Highlights lessons learned about services for families to be considered in developing child welfare reforms for the 21st century.

Updated on November 19, 2008