Child Welfare Matters (formerly known as Managing Care) was our periodic publication that provides information on critical organizational improvement strategies. Issues include an overview of the strategy, examples from child welfare agencies, resources and a quality improvement column.

PLEASE NOTE: The Federal grant for the NRCOI ended on September 29, 2014. This website is remaining live to keep the resources and information the NRCOI has published throughout the years easily accessible. This information is not being updated.

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Child Welfare Matters

Lessons from the Field: Assessing and Improving CQI Systems in Child Welfare (Winter/Spring 2014)
Assessing and Improving Continuous Quality Improvement Systems in Child Welfare • Common State CQI Findings and Ideas • Resources

Leading Adaptively in Child Welfare (Summer 2013)
Leading Adaptively in Child Welfare • How NRCOI Can Help Diagnose and Address Adaptive Challenges • Exercising Adaptive Leadership on the Frontline • CQI Corner: Exercising Leadership in CQI • NRCOI Hones its Diagnostic Skills • Resources

Coaching in Child Welfare (Summer 2012)
Coaching in Child Welfare • The Coaching Process • Key Program Components • Leadership Academy for Middle Managers: Coaching in Action • Resources

Coaching in Child Welfare Resources

Implementing Practice Models (Summer/Fall 2011)
Practice Model Interviews • Leadership Drivers • Competency Drivers • Organization Drivers • Summary of Key Factors

Taking Action: Keys to Using Data and Information (Fall/Winter 2010)
Leadership • QI Staff • Train and Support QI Staff • Create a QI Structure • Reports • Expectations for Action • Support Improvement Efforts • Summary • Network Resources

Improving Child Welfare/Court Collaboration (Summer/Fall 2009)
10 Strategies Agencies and Courts Can Use to Build and Sustain Collaboration • Help from the National Resource Centers • An Interview with the Federal CFSR Review Team • Free Books Available from the Child Welfare Information Gateway

Implementing Change at the Local Level: Strategies for Success (Fall/Winter 2008)
Create the Local Structure • Support the Local Structure • Focus on Desired Practice • 10 Steps Agencies Can Take To Implement Change at the Local Level • Training System News • QI Corner • Resources from the Network

Systemic Reform: Using the System of Care Approach (Spring/Summer 2008)
Primer Hands On - Child Welfare • Why Systems of Care • Systems of Care Resources for Child Welfare • Child Welfare Perspectives on Systems of Care • Steps to Building Systems of Care

Strengthening Child Welfare Supervision (Fall 2007)
Interview with Four Supervisors • Lessons Learned on Supervision from the Child and Family Services Reviews (CFSRs) • How Agencies Can Strengthen Supervision • Help from the National Resource Centers • Lessons Learned about Structured Clinical Supervision • Training System News

Child and Family Services Review: The Second Round (Spring 2007)
Interview with Jerry Milner • Help from the National Resource Centers • Resources • Using data in Kentucky • QI Corner

Innovations in Training (Fall 2006)
Child Welfare Training System Symposium: A Beginning • Creating an Effective Training System • Pennsylvania’s Child Welfare Training System • Enhancing Supervision • County Human Service Director Training • In the Field: NRCOI Curriculum Review Panels • Youth as Trainers

Coping with Disasters: Tips for Child Welfare Agencies (Spring 2006)
From the Field: A Colorado County Director’s Perspective • Coordinating Emergency Management • Tips and Resources • Supporting Child Welfare Workers • QI Corner

Additional resources on secondary trauma:
- Secondary Trauma and Child Welfare Staff
- Secondary Trauma and Foster Parents

Stakeholder Involvement in Child Welfare (Fall 2005)
Community Partnerships in Iowa • Collaboration in Arizona • State-Tribal Partnerships • Resources from NRCOI • QI Corner: The Critical Role of Stakeholders in Continuous Quality Improvement

Coordinated Training and Technical Assistance (T/TA) (Spring 2005)
Successful Assistance for Agencies • The Children’s Bureau T/TA Network •
Using Consultants • QI corner

Managing Care (1997 to 2004)

Implementing Program Improvement Plans (Winter 2004)
Vermont • Oklahoma • Resources • QI Corner

Effective Strategies for Leaders: Interviews with Departing Directors (Spring/Summer, 2003)
Recommended Reading • Resources • Agency Inventory and Assessment Tool • QA Corner

Interagency Collaboration in Rural Areas (Winter, 2003)
Collaborative Efforts to Increase Services: Hale County, Alabama • Checklist for Strategic Planning for Child Welfare Agencies • Cross System Collaboration: Child Welfare and Mental Health in Utah • Resources for Collaboration • QA Corner

Strategic Planning for Child Welfare Agencies (Spring. 2002)
The Nebraska Family Portrait: Making a Difference for Children and Families • How Program Improvement Plans Can Build on the Title IV-B Child and Family Services Planning Process • Checklist for Strategic Planning for Child Welfare Agencies• Technical Assistance on Strategic Planning from the Resource Center and Other Resources

New Domestic Violence Guidelines for Public Child Welfare Agencies (Fall 2001)
Technical Assistance Available to Address Domestic Violence Issues • Resources • Practice Exchange: Supervisors Using Outcome Data

Supervisors as Managers: Understanding and Using Outcome Data (Spring 2001)
Practice Forum: Experience from the pilot sites • Resources

New Child and Family Reviews ( Winter 2001)
Comments from Jerry Milner • Resources • More Tips on Preparing for the Reviews • The Annual Report: More National Outcome Data

Using Data for Decision Making (Summer 2000)
Using Outcomes Data in Decision Making • Practice Forum: Improving Performance with Outcomes Data • Update: Section 426 Training Grants • Information Technology Assistance • Resources and More

Rate Setting: Innovations in Paying for Out-of-Home Care ( Fall 1999)
Case Rates: Incentives for Achieving Outcomes • Performance-based Contracting for Out-of-Home Care • IV-E Waiver Demonstration Projects • Resources and More

Utilization Management in Child Welfare Managed Care (Summer 1999)
Providing Quality Services, Controlling Costs • Practice Forum: More Strategies for Effective Utilization Management • Resources and More

Quality Assurance in Child Welfare ( Winter 1999)
Quality Assurance Strategies • Practice Forum • Update on Federal Reviews • Resources and More

Outcome-based Management and Measurement in Child Welfare (Spring 1998)
Concepts, Terms and Applications • Practice Forum • Federal Outcome-based Reviews • Resources and More

Collaborative Approaches to Financing Comprehensive Services (Winter 1998)
Redeploying Funds • Practice Forum • Resources and More • Child Welfare Waiver Update

Managed Care: New Partnerships for Child Welfare (Fall 1997)
New Partnerships • Practice Forum • Child Welfare Waivers