This guide is designed to support administrative leaders in states and other jurisdictions in using data to assess and identify ways to improve their service array.

Discover how the Capacity Building Center for States is working in partnership with the Children’s Bureau to advance racial equity in child welfare.

Explore how independent verification and validation services for title IV-E agencies are used for child welfare information systems projects.

Learn how jurisdictions across the country respond to human trafficking cases and explore the latest developments in effective intervention.

Learn about a framework for applying safety science to promote a culture of safety in child welfare agencies.

Explore how data reported in AFCARS about youth who run away from state custody can be used to inform interventions.

Buzzwords: Moving to Behavioral Descriptors doodle video is a short, animated video that follows a child involved in a child welfare investigation. The video describes what buzzwords are and illustrates the impact they can have on children and families. It also demonstrates how to recognize buzzwords and offers strategies for transforming buzzwords into objective, behavior-based descriptors.

This publication looks at buzzwords in the context of words or phrases commonly used in child welfare reporting and documentation that can be subjective or carry negative connotations, and offers strategies to minimize their negative impact.

Reflect on past results to inform plans for future improvements.

Explore considerations for selecting, designing, and adapting effective and equitable interventions. 

Explore considerations for assessing readiness as part of an equitable and inclusive change and implementation process. 

Explore considerations for testing, piloting, and staging new programs and practices with attention to equity and inclusion. 

Explore considerations for equitable, inclusive, and data-driven problem exploration.

Explore considerations for monitoring and evaluating new interventions and applying findings to make adjustments aligned with equity and inclusion. 

Explore considerations for planning and building capacity for equitable implementation of new programs and practices.