Children and Family Services Reviews (CFSR)

The federally mandated Child and Family Services Reviews (CFSRs) are conducted by the Children’s Bureau, within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), to help States improve safety, permanency, and well-being outcomes for children and families who receive services through the child welfare system. The CFSRs assess all areas of child welfare services, including foster care, child protection, family preservation, adoption, and youth development. Because substance use disorders are identified so often as a major factor in child welfare cases, opportunities for substance abuse treatment professionals to participate in the CFSRs are a crucial part of the process.

The CFSRs evaluate the effectiveness of the entire child welfare delivery system, including other systems such as mental health agencies, the court system, and substance abuse treatment providers to ensure positive outcomes for children and their families. The CFSRs ask whether the State child welfare agency made concerted efforts to provide or arrange for appropriate services, such as those needed to ensure the child’s safety and enhance the parents’ ability to provide care and supervision.

Fact sheets for specific groups:

• Courts Fact Sheet (PDF 37 KB)
• Governors Fact Sheet (PDF 29 KB)
• Legislature Fact Sheet (PDF 26 KB)
• Mental Health Fact Sheet (PDF 25 KB)
• Substance Abuse Treatment Professionals Fact Sheet (PDF 42 KB)
• Tribal Fact Sheet (PDF 31 KB)
• Youth Involvement Fact Sheet (PDF 27 KB)

Additional Resources

• A Review of Alcohol and Drug Issues in the States' Child and Family Service Reviews and Program Improvement Plans-November 2005 (PDF 463 KB)
  A State-by-State analysis on substance abuse issues from the first round of reviews.
• An Overview of the Child and Family Services Reviews
  Webinar presented by the National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare and the National Association of State Alcohol/Drug Abuse Directors. The webinar was developed to inform State Substance Abuse Directors about the CFSR process and suggest ways in which State Substance Abuse Directors can become involved in the CFSR process through collaboration with Child Welfare Administrators in their state.
• Child and Family Services Review Process: Partnering with Substance Abuse and Mental Health (PDF 600 KB)
  Presented by Nancy K. Young and Kim Helgott at the 17th National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect. Atlanta, GA April 2009.
• Children’s Bureau Child Welfare Monitoring Website