NCCD and Westat Partner to Evaluate Title IV-E Waiver Demonstration California Well-Being Project
November 11, 2015 | by NCCD
NCCD is pleased to announce its evaluation, in collaboration with Westat, of the federal Title IV-E Waiver Demonstration California Well-Being Project in nine California counties. The study is supported by the California Department of Social Services.
NCCD is pleased to announce its evaluation, in collaboration with Westat, of the federal Title IV-E Waiver Demonstration California Well-Being Project in nine California counties. The study is supported by the California Department of Social Services.
The federal government grants Title IV-E funds to states to pay for the costs of children in the foster care system. The IV-E waiver was designed to allow flexibility in how IV-E funds are spent, allowing jurisdictions to spend money on new approaches to increase safety, permanency, and well-being for children in the foster care and juvenile justice systems.
“Child protection has faced steep resource challenges for decades,” said Dr. Jesse Russell, NCCD’s chief program officer. “The IV-E waiver was an important development that allowed agencies to explore different ways to improve outcomes for children. NCCD and Westat are excited to have the opportunity to evaluate how the waivers and associated programs are working. We hope the findings of this study will provide important information for how government resources can be most effective in keeping children safe.”
The study will include a process, outcome, and cost evaluation in order to provide a comprehensive picture of the impact of waiving specified requirements of Titles IV-E and IV-B. Some of the questions to be examined by the study include the following.
- Does the demonstration project improve services available to children and families?
- Does it increase child and youth safety?
- Does it reduce subsequent reports of harm?
- Does it increase child permanency?
- Does it improve child, youth, and family well-being?
- Does the demonstration project decrease juvenile justice system involvement for youth overall?
- Do changes in recidivism differ for youth served by child welfare versus those on probation?
- What are the costs of the demonstration project, in comparison to costs prior to the project?
The study will begin in late 2015 and continue until 2020.