11.2 Data Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting
Child and family outcomes are the primary focus of the child-serving agencies, yet data collection systems are not comprehensive and the resulting information is not widely shared. Accountability systems are vital in holding agencies responsible for producing targeted outcomes, through clear measures that demonstrate an impact on the goals. [i] California legislatively mandated all 58 counties to measure progress towards identified child welfare goals with 14 performance indicators, such as: measuring the number of children who are in foster care, the rate of recurrence of maltreatment of children in foster care, the number of placements of a foster child, length of time to reunification with birth parents and the rate of adoption. [ii] Counties receive quarterly data reports on their outcomes in the areas of safety, permanency and well-being of children and families who come into contact with the child welfare system.
Policy Option:
States can mandate that data are monitored, analyzed, and reported to hold child welfare systems accountable for improving all outcomes, including: child safety, permanence, and well-being; family well-being; child welfare agency performance; individual program performance; and court performance.
[i]
Bruner, C. 1998. Defining the Prize: From Agreed-Upon Outcomes to Results-Based Accountability. Des Moines, Iowa: National Center for Service Integration Clearinghouse
[ii]
Child Welfare System Improvement and Accountability Act of 2001 (AB 636)