Collecting and analyzing data to measure and verify the effectiveness of services helps organizations make informed policy and practice decisions toward improving outcomes for children and families. The following resources review data-driven decision-making in child welfare, present data relating to Child and Family Services Reviews, and can be used to help agencies understand how to work with data to strengthen Child and Family Services Review outcomes.
Child and Family Services Review Statewide Data Indicators: Information for Child Welfare Leaders and Program Managers
Capacity Building Center for States (2019)
Explains the Child and Family Services Review Statewide data indicators, which can help child welfare leaders and program managers better understand their use in program improvement efforts.
A Data-Driven Approach to Service Array Guide
Capacity Building Center for States (2019)
Offers step-by-step guidance and tools to help child welfare agency staff build the capacity to use data to ensure the availability, accessibility, and effectiveness of services to meet the needs of children and families being served. The accompanying Service Array Data Inventory Sample Worksheet contains questions to help guide the service array assessment process.
Data Sharing for Courts and Child Welfare Agencies
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Children's Bureau (2018)
Presents a toolkit to help guide courts and child welfare agencies in their creation of data exchanges between their information systems. The toolkit helps child welfare and court professionals understand the benefits and challenges of data sharing and provides examples of successful systems to learn best practices.
Guide to Data-Driven Decision Making
James Bell Associates (2018)
Explains data-driven decision-making, a process for deciding on a course of action using data as a basis. Examples in the guide include State, local, and nonprofit child-serving organizations funded through the Children's Bureau.
Inventory of Innovations: Data and Child Welfare (PDF - 838 KB)
Capacity Building Center for States (2018)
Presents new approaches to using data applications in the context of child welfare to increase efficiency of information gathering, expand the amount of useful data, and allow agencies to develop a better understanding of the children and families they serve. The brief also addresses considerations for developing and implementing innovative data applications in child welfare.
Look Before You Leap: How a Data Plan Can Help You Dig Deeper Into Your Agency's Needs
Capacity Building Center for States (2018)
Children's Bureau Express, 19(6)
Explains how child welfare agencies can create a comprehensive data plan developed in collaboration with stakeholders to guide data collection and analysis. The components of a comprehensive data plan are listed and links to additional resources are provided.
Strengthen Your State’s Use of Data Evidence to Assess and Demonstrate Systemic Factor Functioning
Lao & Jones-Ferguson (2021)
Children's Bureau Express, 22(8)
Presents a list of questions for States to consider in preparation for the Statewide Assessment, which is the first phase of the Child and Family Services Review.
Using Child Welfare Data to Improve Federal Permanency Targets, Other Outcome Measures
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Children's Bureau (2019)
Children's Bureau Express, 20(7)
Discusses grants awarded to five jurisdictions after data from Child and Family Services Reviews showed States were struggling with meeting Federal permanency goals for children and families.
Using Story Mapping to Inform Child and Family Services Reviews Planning Efforts
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration on Children and Families, Children’s Bureau
The Children’s Bureau has developed story maps on several topics, which can help visualize and understand child welfare data by race, age, and location. View the story maps: