Resources in this section explore trends, best practices, and successful approaches in performance-based contracting in child welfare services, including State and local examples.
Privatization and Performance-Based Contracting in Child Welfare: Recent Trends and Implications for Social Service Administrators
Collins-Camargo, McBeath, & Ensign (2011)
Administration in Social Work, 35(5)
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Reports on results from interviews with a national sample of public agency administrators by the Quality Improvement Center on the Privatization of Child Welfare Services regarding the scope and mechanisms of contracting in the child welfare sector. Results identify key administrative and agency practices that public and private agency administrators used to develop public/private collaborations and sustain effective cross-sector partnerships.
Privatization of Child Welfare Services: A Guide for State Advocates
(PDF - 121 KB)
McCullough & Freundlich (2012)
State Policy Advocacy and Reform Center & First Focus
Provides an overview of child welfare privatization and how advocates can be involved in efforts to privatize child welfare services. This brief includes practical tips for advocates to remember when privatization is being considered, planned, evaluated, or reassessed. An accompanying summary checklist is also available.
State and local examples
Key Recommendations for Developing a Foundation and Framework for Successful Implementation of Performance-Based Contracting: A Case Study of a Child Welfare Lead Agency in Florida
Elder, DeStefano, Blazevski, & Schuler (2012)
Journal of Public Child Welfare, 6(1)
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Describes the results of a case study regarding the use of performance-based contracts between a private nonprofit child welfare lead agency that is responsible for the provision of child welfare services in a defined geographic area and subcontracted private nonprofit case management agencies. The article also presents key recommendations for developing a foundation and framework for successful implementation of performance-based contracting.
Performance-Based Contracting in Illinois
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Children's Bureau (2012)
Children's Bureau Express,13(8)
Discusses an evaluation grant awarded to the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), the Child Care Association of Illinois, and the Children and Family Research Center of the University of Illinois to develop, implement, and evaluate a performance-based contracting initiative for DCFS's residential treatment program and independent living opportunities/transitional living program. This article provides information about the residential treatment component of the project.
Review of Performance Based Contracting Models in Child Welfare (PDF - 53 KB)
Myslewicz (2008)
Casey Family Programs
Explores the implementation of performance-based contracting (PBC) in child welfare services and reviews different types of PBC models. The report focuses on six PBC models that are being used in Florida, Kansas, Michigan, Illinois, and North Carolina and discusses the impact of PBC in each of the States analyzed.
Transforming Child Welfare in Washington State: Performance-Based Contracting (PDF - 340 KB)
Washington State Institute for Public Policy (2012)
Provides a brief description of legislation requiring the Children's Administration (CA) of the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) to (1) convert existing contracts with service providers to performance-based contracts and reduce the overall number of contracts, and (2) set up two demonstration sites to compare child welfare case management by private agencies with child welfare case management by DSHS employees. This initial report provides an overview of the progress to date in converting and consolidating CA contracts.