Child Welfare Accountability Act (CWAA)

Project Overview

Following the passage of the Child Welfare Accountability Act (CWAA) in 2006, Maryland’s Department of Human Services (DHS) and University of Maryland School of Social Work (UMSSW) built a long-standing partnership to evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of Maryland’s child welfare system, as specified in the CWAA project. This collaboration began with an initial evaluation of the state’s performance on several child welfare metrics, the development of the state’s Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) process, and the implementation of the state’s family-centered practice model. The CWAA Project continues to assess 1) the quality of child welfare practice by serving as an integral part of the state’s CQI process, 2) the impacts of family-centered practice, now known as Integrated Practice Model (IPM), and 3) the use of state administrative data and performance indicators (PI) to inform policy and practice. Through these collaborative efforts, the CWAA Project provides policy and practice recommendations to promote the safety, permanency, and well-being of children.

Activities

Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI)
Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI)

Coordinates the federally mandated Child and Family Services Review to comprehensively review the state’s child welfare system.

Participates in monthly qualitative case reviews of the 24 local jurisdictions.

Conducts focus groups with key stakeholders involved in the child welfare system to collect data on systemic issues impacting practice.

Supports DHS in the implementation of case record reviews for quality assurance.
Integrated Practice Model (IPM)
Integrated Practice Model (IPM)

Evaluates the implementation and effectiveness of the Integrated Practice Model (IPM), Maryland’s framework for collaborating with youth, families, and community partners.

Surveys youth, families, child welfare staff, and community partners to gather feedback on and gauge satisfaction of facilitated meetings, including Family Team Decision Meetings (FTDMs), as a component of the IPM.

Collects self-reported, programmatic data from each of the 24 local jurisdictions to understand the use of facilitated family meetings across the state.

Pull state administrative data on FTDMs held across the state.
State Administrative Data & Performance Indicators (PI)
State Administrative Data & Performance Indicators (PI)

Partner with the state to utilize state administrative data from the Child, Juvenile, and Adult Management System (CJAMS) to facilitate timely and accurate legislative and federal reporting.

Generate state and local data reports monitoring overall system compliance and child welfare system outcomes.

Work with the state and jurisdictions to develop, analyze, and report on ad hoc data requests for adult and child welfare services.

Work with the state to facilitate the use of the administrative data to effectively partner with other agencies and stakeholders to understand child welfare system outcomes and opportunities for collaboration.

Highlighted Contributions

Identified areas of strength and areas needing improvement to support the state in enhancing child welfare outcomes around safety, permanency, and well-being.
Provided recommendations for policy development and changes based on evaluation outcomes.
Supported facilitated meeting practice and addressed challenges to successful child welfare service provision.
Identified strengths and challenges related to child welfare population and service provision, and provided recommendations to improve equity and inclusion within the child welfare system.
Provided recommendations in statewide meetings around the impact of practice efforts on children and families, including family engagement and collaboration with court and service providers.
Provided ongoing support and technical assistance to leadership and child welfare workers at Local Departments of Social Services and state agencies.
Produced monthly, semi-annual, and annual reports to inform policy and practice and provide recommendations to improve outcomes.