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.

Frankie is 14 years old and lives with his sister, brothers, and moms. He and his sister were adopted when they were 2 years old and 4 years old, respectively. He loves spending time with his aunts, uncles, and cousins and loves being part of a big family.

Discover how to examine and drill down into state data to build understanding of what’s happening in your child welfare system.

Explore information and strategies for advancing racial equity through problem exploration.

Learn about normalcy for LGBTQ children and youth in foster care in the context of the Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act (P.L. 113–183).

Get the latest research on decision science and safety decision-making practices in child welfare to help improved safety outcomes.

Learn about the Capacity Building Center for States’ diversity, racial equity, and inclusion terms and definitions and the importance of shared language to advance equity. 

Explore the Capacity Building Center for States’ most up-to-date diversity, racial equity, and inclusion terms and definitions. 

Meet the series cohosts as they talk about sharing lived expertise and power with child welfare agency leaders and staff.

Hear about the experiences of sharing power between a child welfare agency leader in Nevada and a young adult with lived expertise.

Hear how sharing power begins with building trusting relationships.

Hear a father and an agency administrator talk about what needs to be in place to make family engagement easier.

Identify data sources to explore your state’s system of foster and adoptive parent licensing, recruitment, and retention.

Explore and discuss state performance on CFSR statewide data indicators.

Learn how to create an agency organizational culture that is inclusive and knowledgeable about the unique needs of LGBTQ children, youth, and families.