Modernizing child welfare practices and technology
March 11, 2019
This piece was developed and written by the Governing Institute Content Studio, with information and input from Salesforce, Accenture and Vlocity.
Improving outcomes for children and families
Child welfare agencies dedicate themselves to protecting children and bringing permanency into their lives. Unfortunately, technology and practice challenges impede agencies from making an even bigger difference in the lives of the constituents they serve.
Download this report to learn how new legislation and increased federal funding can help agencies shift their practice and modernize their child welfare systems, giving them valuable insights that improve outcomes for children and families.
"It’s about knitting together both policy and practice with technology. That’s where CCWIS and Family First become very powerful."
– VAL ARMBRUST, Managing Director of Child Services Accenture – North America
Reinventing child welfare systems
Today, most child welfare agencies are ill-prepared to transform their practice in the way Family First demands. Agencies must undergo several changes: experiential changes to deliver workflows through intuitive interfaces that increase caseworker efficiency, technical changes to harness system intelligence to improve prioritization and identify relevant services, and cultural changes to provide better support to families and caseworkers.
As it relates to system modernization specifically, agencies must establish their technology vision before the RFP process and understand the deployment methodology — whether it’s agile, hyper-agile or waterfall — that best suits their business needs. It also helps to enlist the help of a vendor that can serve as a strategic partner in the technology implementation.
The following technology capabilities can help support the modernization process:
Configurability
Agencies should take advantage of API-based technologies to quickly launch new capabilities.
A cloud-based platform approach
Cloud-based platforms will enable agencies to move faster and more efficiently and put child and family at the center.
Integration with cutting-edge technologies
Disruptive technologies like AI and predictive analytics can enable better decision-making.
Robust, flexible practice models
The right system will include an extensive child welfare case management model for different scenarios that caseworkers may face.
Dynamic workflows
Look for a system that allows caseworkers to redirect time previously spent on administrative tasks to work with children and families.
360-degree view of the HHS ecosystem
Agencies can implement a platform that enables caseworkers to match a family or child’s needs to available services.
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Spotlight on child welfare
437k
The number of children in foster care in the U.S.
60k
The number of children in congregate care in the U.S.
$28B
The amount of money that states spend annually on child welfare services
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