A Closer Look is a series of short reports that spotlight issues addressed by public child welfare agencies and their partners in implementing systems of care approaches to improve services and outcomes for children and families. These reports draw on the experiences of nine communities participating in the Children's Bureau's Improving Child Welfare Outcomes Through Systems of Care demonstration initiative, and summarize their challenges, promising practices, and lessons learned. Each issue of A Closer Look provides information communities nationwide can use in planning, implementing, and evaluating effective child welfare driven systems of care, and is intended as a tool for administrators and policymakers leading system change initiatives.

An Overview of Systems of Care in Child Welfare
Defines systems of care and discusses how the approach might be best applied in public child welfare settings.

Interagency Collaboration
Considers the challenges and strategies associated with building and sustaining interagency collaboration in a child welfare driven system of care.

An Individualized, Strengths-Based Approach in Public Child Welfare Driven Systems of Care
Discusses the importance of establishing policies and practices that promote and facilitate an individualized, strengths-based approach when working with children and families involved with child welfare.

Cultural Competency
Defines cultural competency, reviews its history in public child welfare, and highlights strategies to operationalize cultural competency in a systems of care framework for change.

Family Involvement in Public Child Welfare Driven Systems of Care
Reviews challenges and strategies for involving families and discusses what leaders can do to support family-agency partnerships for system transformation.

Community-based Resources: Keystone to the System of Care
Examines the elements of a successful community-based approach to serving children and families involved with the child welfare system.

Accountability
Defines accountability, discusses its role in a child welfare driven system of care, and presents challenges and strategies in implementing accountability.