From: CWLA Member Exclusives
Subject:Value-Added Feature: National Resource Center for Technology in Child Welfare

When federal, state, and local governments take a closer look at the results of child welfare programs-as is the case in Statewide Assessments, Child and Family Services Reviews, and Annual Reports of State Performance-many state agencies, tribes, and courts are left with the difficult task of coordinating and standardizing data on their work: When one agency uses the term "foster home," is it referring to care provided by a child's relative, a nonrelated foster parent, or a group home? Is the parent or service provider being paid for their efforts? How are favorable outcomes defined and measured?

If our field aims to make any meaningful changes for children, all of these questions must be answered in a consistent, quantifiable manner. Fortunately, CWLA's staff at The National Resource Center for Information Technology in Child Welfare (NRC-ITCW) are there to provide guidance to state agencies and contractors, Indian tribes, and courts in need of such support, with funds from the Children's Bureau, within the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services.

NRC-ITCW helps states and courts meet the requirements of the Adoption and Safe Families Act and other federal mandates while building their capacity, and helping court workers, supervisors, and administrators use child welfare data to make better decisions while crafting policy and practice. On a broader level, NRC-ITCW helps the Children's Bureau conduct an annual conference on data usage and information technology in child welfare and develops and disseminates "tips, tools, and trends" with its website and other means.

For more information about how NRC-ITCW can help you manage data and make more informed decisions, visit www.nrcitcw.org or call 877/672-4829.

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