Data Systems, Evaluation and Technology

Find resources on child welfare information systems, which help support management and tracking of child welfare programs and effective delivery of services to children and families. Jurisdictions can improve data quality, extraction, and analysis.

Learn how the Children’s Bureau supports the development of State and Tribal child welfare reporting systems to enable the collection and analysis of important information about children and families, as well as improve case practice and management.

Explore information on the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS), a voluntary data collection system that gathers information from all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico about reports of child abuse and neglect.

Explore the National Youth in Transition Database (NYTD), which collects information on youth in foster care, including sex, race, ethnicity, date of birth, and foster care status. It also collects data on outcomes after youth transition out of care.

Learn more about Quality Improvement Centers (QICs), which generate and disseminate research and knowledge in specific focus areas with the goal of helping agencies, managers, workers, and other child welfare professionals with service delivery.

Explore the findings of a literature review of child welfare prevention services. Learn about commonly used prevention strategies and frameworks as well as recommendations for overcoming challenges.

Learn about the use of predictive analytics in child welfare practice. Explore introductory materials, challenges and opportunities, and resources for administrators, policymakers, and contractors.

Learn about the importance of effective data gathering and analysis and the steps for assessing systemic factor functioning.

Explore how child welfare leaders can advance equity through research and evaluation. This guide provides strategies to address disparities and improve outcomes for marginalized communities.