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.

Learn about the range of practices comprising the continuum of youth engagement to youth empowerment.

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

Learn about various instruments used to measure well-being for program, case planning, and evaluation purposes.

Explore successful cross-system collaboration across three phases of child welfare interactions with families experiencing co-occurring issues—front-end investigation, case planning/service provision, and case resolution. 

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

Explore strategies to engage individuals with lived experience as advisors for groups, committees, boards, and more. 

Explore additional resources for engaging individuals with lived experience as advisors for groups, committees, boards, and more.

Explore the need for involving multiple voices in developing and implementing prevention plans, as well as the important role courts play in prevention.

Explore how frontline child welfare professionals can use data and evidence in their everyday practice. 

Explore how legal and judicial professionals can use data and evidence in their everyday practice. 

Explore how child welfare leaders, managers, and supervisors can motivate their staff to use data and evidence in their everyday practice. 

Learn strategies for accurately and safely collecting data on LGBTQIA2S+ youth and young adults.

Explore additional resources to learn how to accurately and safely collecting data on LGBTQIA2S+ youth and young adults.

Learn the importance of effective, ongoing collaboration between child welfare agencies and community-based partners.