Child Welfare Waivers
The Child Welfare Waiver Demonstration authority provides states with an opportunity to use federal funds more flexibly in order to test innovative approaches to child welfare service delivery and financing. Using this option, states can design and demonstrate a wide range of approaches to reforming child welfare and improving outcomes in the areas of safety, permanency, and well-being.
Child Welfare Waiver Demonstration Projects for Fiscal Years 2012-2014 ACYF-CB-IM-12-05 - This Information Memorandum invites title IV-E agencies to submit proposals for new Child Welfare Waiver Demonstration projects for consideration in fiscal years 2012 to 2014.
Title IV-E Child Welfare Demonstration Project Summaries
The following is a summary of the nine child welfare waiver demonstration projects approved for FY 2012.
Title IV-E Child Waiver Demonstration Project Proposals
The following proposals were submitted by states for consideration as new Child Welfare Waiver Demonstration projects under Section 1130 of the Social Security Act. All proposals are now undergoing review by federal staff to determine whether they meet statutory requirements and respond to the priorities outlined in ACYF-CB-IM-12-05. Details of the proposed demonstrations are subject to revision and refinement in response to comments, technical assistance, and negotiation between the states and the federal government prior to final approval.
In some cases, supporting documents (e.g., letters of support, appendices) that were included in the proposal submitted by the state could not be posted due to technological issues that prevent compliance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act.
Members of the public are invited to review proposals and submit any comments on the proposed demonstrations. Comments may be sent electronically to cwwaivers@acf.hhs.gov.
Technical Assistance Materials for Child Welfare Waiver Demonstration Projects
The following technical assistance documents are designed to assist states in developing full proposals for a waiver demonstration project.
A Child Welfare Waiver Demonstration Proposal Checklist - This is a tool to assist title IV-E agencies complete proposals for Child Welfare Waiver Demonstration projects.
Waiver Terms and Conditions Template - This document includes sample terms and conditions that describe which provisions of the Social Security Act and program regulations can be waived to allow the state or tribe to operate a Child Welfare Waiver Demonstration project.
Commonly Asked Questions About Cost Neutrality - This document provides answers to commonly asked questions about the cost neutrality requirement of the Child Welfare Waiver Demonstration projects.
Evaluation Technical Assistance for Title IV-E Child Welfare Waiver Demonstration Projects - The Children’s Bureau supports a contract to provide evaluation technical assistance to title IV-E agencies in conducting evaluations of their child welfare waiver demonstrations. This document summarizes the technical assistance contract to assist title IV-E agencies in evaluating Child Welfare Waiver Demonstration projects, assist the Administration on Children, Youth and Families (ACYF) in monitoring and reviewing the progress of these evaluations, and synthesize and disseminate findings from the evaluations.
Child Welfare Waiver Demonstration Projects Helpful Resources - This document provides a list of resources to inform title IV-E agencies in the development and implementation of their Child Welfare Waiver Demonstration projects.
Evaluation Brief: Critical Issues in Evaluating Child Welfare Programs - This report examines several critical issues that have affected the evaluation efforts of many title IV-E agencies and reviews a range of strategies that states and tribes may consider to address these issues effectively.
Well-Being Outcome Measures and Instruments
Based on a review of the literature and discussions with experts in the field, ACYF and ACF’s Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation have compiled a list of screening and assessment instruments to measure child and adolescent well-being and trauma. The following tables provide information about instruments that may be useful to title IV-E agencies that are looking to implement or expand the use of screening and functional assessment for ongoing practice and waiver demonstration evaluations. The tables will be updated as more information becomes available on reliable and valid screening and assessment instruments that are applicable in a child welfare context.
Well-being Instruments for Early Childhood
Well-being Instruments for Middle Childhood and Adolescence
Child Welfare Waiver Demonstration Project Webinars
Title IV-E Waiver Demonstrations: Overview of Evaluation Requirements and Considerations (June 6, 2012) - This presentation addresses the waiver authority, previous and current waiver evaluations, waiver evaluation requirements and expectations, and a review of well-being constructs, outcomes, and measurement tools.
National Town Hall on Child Welfare Webinar (May 28, 2012) - This presentation, which focused on promoting well-being by addressing the impact of trauma, was held by leadership from the Administration on Children, Youth and Families, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and the Center for Medicare/Medicaid Services.
Synthesis Reports, Summaries, and State Profiles of Child Welfare Waiver Demonstration Projects
Synthesis of Findings from the Subsidized Guardianship Child Welfare Waiver Demonstrations (2011) - This report is based on evaluation reports submitted by the following states regarding their title IV-E waivers to implement subsidized guardianship demonstration projects: Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Oregon, Tennessee, and Wisconsin.
Synthesis of Findings from the Title IV-E Flexible Funding Child Welfare Waiver Demonstrations (2011) - This report is based on evaluation reports from and site visits to the following states regarding their title IV-E waivers to implement flexible funding demonstration projects: California, Florida, Indiana, North Carolina, Ohio, and Oregon.
Summary of the Title IV-E Child Welfare Waiver Demonstrations (March 2012) - This document provides a description of the different types of demonstration projects, the research evaluation designs, and the status of individual projects. It also includes links to individual states' progress and evaluation reports.
Profiles of Child Welfare Waiver Demonstration Projects (February 2012) - This document provides detailed information about the Child Welfare Waiver Demonstration projects, including evaluation designs and outcome findings for individual projects.
Summary Table of the Title IV-E Child Welfare Waiver Demonstrations - This document provides a summary of the Child Welfare Waiver Demonstration projects as of March 2012.
Summary of Subsidized Guardianship Waiver Demonstrations (June 2010) - This report is based on evaluation reports submitted by the following states regarding their title IV-E waivers to implement subsidized guardianship demonstration projects: Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Tennessee, and Wisconsin.