1. BARBARA NEEDELL, MSW, PhD
The California Child Welfare Outcomes System and the CFSR: What’s the latest?
CWDA Conference
October 30, 2008
BARBARA NEEDELL, MSW, PhD
Center for Social Services Research
University of California at Berkeley
The Performance Indicators Project is a collaboration of the
California Department of Social Services and the University of California at Berkeley,
and is supported by the
California Department of Social Services and the Stuart Foundation 1

2. Tracking Child Welfare Outcomes
Rate of Referrals/
Substantiated Referrals
Home-Based
Services vs.
Out of Home
Care
Reentry to Care
Permanency
Through
Reunification,
Adoption, or
Guardianship
Counterbalanced
Indicators of
System
Performance
Use of Least
Restrictive
Form of Care
Length
of Stay
Positive Attachments
to Family,
Friends, and
Neighbors
Stability
of Care
Source: Usher, C.L., Wildfire, J.B., Gogan, H.C. & Brown, E.L. (2002). Measuring Outcomes in Child Welfare.
Chapel Hill:  Jordan Institute for Families, 2

3. 2007 California: Racial Disparity Indices (group compared to White)
Black
Native American
Hispanic
*Updated with Q1_08 Data
*To show relative rates / disparity rates, the log of all graphics must be taken
*Value labels must be manually entered in order to reflect the raw disparity numbers (rather than the logged numbers)
Asian/PI
Underrepresented
1.00
Overrepresented 3

4. 1998 to 2008 California: Foster Care Caseload by Race/Ethnicity
104,325
TOTAL Caseload
Black
Hispanic
70,423
White
*Updated with Q1_08 Data (through April 2008)
Asian/PI
Native American
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008 4

6. CFSR: Seven Outcomes Safety
Children are, first and foremost, protected from abuse and neglect.
Children are safely maintained in their homes whenever possible and appropriate.
Permanency
Children have permanency and stability in their living arrangements.
The continuity of family relationships and connections is preserved for children.
Child and Family Well-Being
Families have enhanced capacity to provide for their children's needs.
Children receive appropriate services to meet their educational needs.
Children receive adequate services to meet their physical and mental health needs. 6

7. CFSR: Seven Systemic Factors
Statewide information system
Case review system
Quality assurance program
Staff and provider training
Service array
Agency responsiveness to the community
Foster and adoptive parent licensing, recruitment and retention 7

8. National Standards
National standards for both the safety indicators and permanency composites are based on State performance in 2004, 75th percentile
In California, we at CSSR attempt to replicate each of the measures and composite scores, break them out by child welfare and probation agencies, and report/update quarterly.
Although national standards have been set for the composites rather than individual measures…
The goal is to improve State performance on all measures (every improvement reflects a better outcome for children)
Improvement on any given measure will result in an increase in the overall composite score
We post the 75th percentile performance for each indicator/measure and call it the national goal 8

9. Indicator 1 Safety Indicator 2 Composite 1 Composite 2 Permanency
Measure Measure Measure Measure 4
Component A Component B
Composite 1
Measure Measure Measure Measure Measure 5
Component A Component B Component C
Composite 2
Permanency
Component A Component B
Measure Measure Measure 3
Composite 3
Composite 4
Measure 1 Measure 2 Measure 3

10. Composite 1: Reunification
Safety
S2.1
C C C C1.4
Composite 1: Reunification
C C C C C2.5
Composite 2: Adoption
Permanency
Composite 3: Long-Term
C C C3.3
Composite 4: Stability
C C C4.3

11. Measure Contributions to Composites
Reentry Following Reunification (Exit Cohort)
Reunification Within 12 Months (Entry Cohort)
Median Time To Reunification (Exit Cohort)
Reunification Within 12 Months (Exit Cohort)

12. Measure Contributions to Composites
Adoption Within 12 Months (Legally Free)
Legally Free Within 6 Months (17 Months In Care)
Adoption Within 12 Months (17 Months In Care)
Median Time To Adoption (Exit Cohort)
Adoption Within 24 Months (Exit Cohort)

13. Measure Contributions to Composites
In Care 3 Years Or Longer (Emancipated/Age 18)
Exits to Permanency (Legally Free At Exit)
Exits to Permanency (24 Months In Care)

14. Measure Contributions to Composites
Placement Stability (At Least 24 Months In Care)
Placement Stability (12 To 24 Months In Care)
Placement Stability (8 Days To 12 Months In Care)

15. Measure Contributions to Composites

16. January 2004-October 2008 California CWS Outcomes System: AB636 Measures, % IMPROVEMENT (+) or (–) indicates direction of desired change
Updated with Q1_08 Data
Decline in Performance Improvement in Performance

17. January 2004-October 2008 California CWS Outcomes System: Federal Measures, % IMPROVEMENT (+) or (–) indicates direction of desired change
Updated with Q1_08 Data
Decline in Performance Improvement in Performance 17

18. Federal Standard/Goal
October 2008 California CWS Outcomes System: Performance Relative to Federal Standard/Goal
Federal Standard/Goal
100%
100%
Updated with Q1_08 Data 18

19. 2002 to 2008 California: C4.1,2,3: Placement Stability
Count
*Updated with Q1_08 Data (Extract JAN-DEC2002 through Extract APR2007-MAR2008)
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008 19

20. Using the UCB/CDSS Website
Quarterly reports, including dynamic compare feature
New Composite Planner (coming soon!)
Ability to examine breakouts (age, race, gender, etc.) and performance over time
Additional reports above and beyond CA Child Welfare Outcomes System and CFSR
(enhanced recurrence and entry cohort tables, entry cohort stability table) 20

22. CSSR.BERKELEY.EDU/UCB_CHILDWELFARE
Barbara Needell
CSSR.BERKELEY.EDU/UCB_CHILDWELFARE
Needell, B., Webster, D., Armijo, M., Lee, S., Dawson, W., Magruder, J., Exel, M., Glasser, T., Williams, D., Zimmerman, K., Simon, V., Putnam-Hornstein, E., Frerer, K., Cuccaro-Alamin, S., Winn, A., Lou, C., & Peng, C. (2008). Child Welfare Services Reports for California. Retrieved [month day, year], from University of California at Berkeley Center for Social Services Research website. URL: <
Presentation Developed by Emily Putnam-Hornstein and Christine Wei-Mien Lou 22