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.

Better understand your state’s performance on statewide data indicators related to the safety and permanency of children served by the child welfare system. 

Learn how to engage young people and families with lived expertise in the CFSR process at a child welfare agency. 

Learn about quality contacts, why they are important, and how an agency can successfully implement them.

Explore the efforts agencies, community collaborative organizations, and others are making to bring families, youth, and communities to the table as they strive to improve the child welfare system in this podcast. 

Learn to use the CFSR Round 4 SPSS syntax to calculate observed performance for a state on all or selected statewide data indicators.

Learn strategies to address the mental health needs of children, young people, and families.

Review the steps for running the CFSR Round 4 SPSS syntax to calculate observed performance on statewide data indicators. 

Set the groundwork for meaningful engagement of people with lived experience in the CFSR.

Find out where evidence-based programs and services are being implemented to prevent children from entering foster care.

Examine the Promoting Safe and Stable Families Program's purpose, objectives, history, funding, and requirements. 

Explore strategies for redesigning the child welfare service array to meet the needs of youth and young adults currently and formerly in foster care.

This “Service Array Data Inventory Sample Worksheet” (Worksheet) is a companion tool to A Data-Driven Approach to Service Array Guide developed by the Capacity Building Center for States. To use the Worksheet, you can print it out and fill in the blank squares, or use the questions as a guide.

Explore tips and strategies to effectively engage and sustain the involvement of families and youth at the agency level.