The Child and Family Services Review (CFSR) enables the Children’s Bureau to: (1) ensure conformity with federal child welfare requirements; (2) determine what is actually happening to children and families as they are engaged in child welfare services; and (3) assist states in enhancing their capacity to help children and families achieve positive outcomes. Ultimately, the goal of the reviews is to help states improve child welfare services and achieve better outcomes for families and children. The Program Improvement Plan (PIP) is developed after the CFSR is concluded to address any challenges in meeting outcomes identified by the CFSR. The resources below can help states develop, implement, and monitor their CFSR PIPs.

Publications

• CFSR Program Improvement Plan Readiness Checklist, Timelines, and Organization tool helps teams prepare and begin project management for PIP development activities.
• CFSR Round 4 Planning and Implementation Tools support teams in preparing for the CFSR and PIP, strengthening their use of state data, engaging young people and families with lived experience, and more. 
• CFSR Statewide Data Indicators webpage presents publications and FAQs that describe the statewide data indicators and their use in assessing and monitoring child safety and permanency outcomes. 
• Strategic Planning in Child Welfare series presents practical guidance and tools to support coordinated strategic planning and alignment of PIPs, the Child and Family Services Plan (CFSP), and other federal and state improvement processes.
• Change and Implementation in Practice series offers resources that support child welfare agencies and their partners with exploring problem areas, identifying strategies to address them, and developing and monitoring implementation plans. 

Peer Groups

The following Center peer groups can help connect child welfare professionals who are conducting their CFSR or developing their PIP. Visit the Center’s current Peer Groups page for more information or to sign up for a peer group.

• CFSR Round 4 Community of Practice
• CQI/CFSR Managers 

Virtual Events

Visit the Center's Events page to learn about upcoming events focused on CFSR PIP development.

The Center also offers jurisdiction-specific tailored services to states and jurisdictions to help build agency capacity for developing and implementing the CFSR PIP. For more information, contact your State Liaison.