Citation URL: http://www.urban.org/TeresaMarkowitz

Federal and state governments are seeking to improve the child welfare system by increasing oversight and making agencies more accountable for outcomes. Installation of new information systems increases accountability. New initiatives, such as alternative response systems, structured decision making, and family group decision making, are efforts to respond to ongoing concerns about the quality of the child welfare system. Some states report increased staff allocations, but most cite difficulty in recruiting and retaining staff. Front-line caseworkers report new, added responsibilities, with more emphasis on documentation and clerical work, less decision making authority, and less time to spend with children and families.

The paper examines the links between the cash assistance and child welfare systems. Interviews with more than 350 child welfare administrators, researchers, supervisors, legislative representatives, and advocates in 13 states found no evidence to suggest that welfare reform had significantly increased the number of families referred to child welfare agencies. The authors conclude that concern for dual-system families may be well-founded as many respondents noted the challenges faced by families involved in both systems. The authors review the few studies that address the effects of welfare reform on child welfare concluding that research on this topic is limited.

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