Outdated technology and data infrastructure remain major barriers in child welfare systems. Caseworkers spend substantial time on paperwork and data entry that is often redundant, unreliable, and of limited use. While advances in technology have the potential to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of investigations and case management, many state agencies lack the resources for major system upgrades. States can make meaningful progress by strengthening oversight, modernizing system design where possible, and using data more effectively to support children and families.

Federal Investment in Child Welfare Data Systems: Progress and Ongoing Challenges

• Federal funding has supported electronic systems for state child welfare agencies since 1993.
  • Under Title IV-E of the Social Security Act, the federal funding match covered 75% of initial costs and 50% of ongoing costs for the development and operation of electronic case management systems.
• States are responsible for procuring their own electronic case management
  • While the federal government provides substantial upfront funding, states select vendors, oversee data system development, and manage ongoing system operations.
• States have faced persistent challenges in implementing child welfare data systems.
  • Many have struggled to identify contractors that can produce high-quality data systems on time and within budget.
  • As a result, billions of federal dollars have flowed through states to private contractors over the last three decades, often producing systems that are costly but do not fully meet states’ needs.
  • Evolving federal reporting requirements add further complexity and cost, requiring states to make repeated data system modifications.
• Recent reforms aim to improve data quality, but progress is uneven.
  • New guidance for Comprehensive Child Welfare Information Systems (CCWIS) was introduced in 2016 to improve data quality and system flexibility.
  • However, many states remain years from full implementation, and the effectiveness of these newer systems has not yet been established.

Gaps in Federal Child Welfare Data from State Agencies

The federal government compiles and reports national child welfare data through systems such as the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS) and the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS), administered by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF). While these systems provide important insight into state child welfare systems, several limitations affect their timeliness, quality, and usefulness for policy and oversight:

• Federal data releases are often delayed.
  • Annual NCANDS and AFCARS data are typically released with a two-year lag (e.g., 2022 data released in 2024).
  • These delays limit the ability to identify and respond to emerging trends and problems.
• Data quality varies widely across states and typical problems include:
  • Incomplete or unreliable data on risk factors and services
  • Inability to consistently identify repeated reports for the same child over time due to errors in ID variables and expungement practices
  • Inaccurate accounting of child maltreatment fatalities
• Key information relevant to oversight is not consistently collected, such as:
  • Data on the supply and quality of foster homes
  • Information on the uptake and outcomes of prevention services funded under the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA)
  • Information on adoption dissolution or post-adoption maltreatment
• Data systems are not well integrated across other key systems serving families, particularly Medicaid.

Policy Opportunities to Strengthen Child Welfare Data Systems  

Federal funding and reporting requirements have not consistently produced child welfare data systems that meet states’ operational and policy needs. States have opportunities to improve system design, oversight, and data use to better support children and families.

1.    Promote modular, interoperable data system upgrades

• States can use modular system designs, consistent with federal CCWIS guidance, to update systems over time and avoid costly full redesigns.
• Modular systems allow states to adapt more easily as reporting requirements evolve.
• These systems can better support real-time case management and appropriate data sharing across agencies.

2.    Strengthen procurement oversight and contractor accountability

• Past child welfare IT projects have experienced cost overruns, delays, and user dissatisfaction due to weak oversight and unclear performance expectations.
• States can reduce these risks by breaking large projects into smaller phases, setting clear goals, and testing systems with real users, such as caseworkers.
• Regular progress reporting and clearer contractor monitoring can improve transparency and limit repeated contract changes.

3.    Establish clear data quality and record-management standards

• States can adopt standard data quality rules to reduce inconsistent record-keeping (e.g., common identifiers, standardization for routine variables).
• Separation of child abuse central registries from the case management data system can better balance privacy demands and the need to retain records for research and continuous quality improvement.
• Stronger standards can improve the reliability of federal reporting and internal decisions.

4.    Use data systems to support evaluation and child safety outcomes

• Data systems can help states assess whether services improve children’s safety and wellbeing.
• Real-time case information can improve coordination among child-serving agencies.
• Evaluation tools can help policymakers understand which programs are effective and where adjustments may be needed.