Child Welfare Research, Training and Demonstration

What this funds

Child Welfare Research, Training and Demonstration The Social Security Amendments of 1967 (P.L. 90-248) first authorized the Child Welfare Research, Training and Demonstration (CWRTD) program to provide broad authority to award competitive grants to entities that prepare personnel for work in the child welfare field and research around child welfare ' institutions of higher education and other non-profit agencies and organizations engaged in research or child welfare activities for special child welfare projects that are of regional or national significance and for demonstration projects on promising approaches that advance child ' state or local public child welfare agencies for demonstration projects using child welfare research to encourage innovative and unique types of child welfare services; ' public or other non-profit institutions of higher learning for special projects for training personnel to work in the child welfare field, including traineeships; ' contracts or jointly financed cooperative arrangements with states and other organizations and agencies to conduct research, special projects, or demonstration projects relating to child welfare; ' a national study, with a longitudinal component, based on random samples of children at risk of A properly trained child welfare workforce is essential to improving child and family outcomes. Critical uses of this funding include alignment of workforce needs and skills with child welfare program goals. Activities include development of a comprehensive workforce framework, development of data analytic tools to support recruitment and retention of the child welfare workforce, delivery of child welfare training curriculum on leadership and effective change management, facilitation of a national peer network of child welfare leaders focused on professional development of their workforce, implementation and rigorous evaluation of innovative and evidence-based workforce improvement strategies, and strategic dissemination of effective and promising workforce practices. Research supported by this funding includes The National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW), a nationally representative, longitudinal survey of children and families who have been the subjects of investigation by state child protective services agencies. There have been three cohorts of children enrolled in the survey, which makes available data drawn from first-hand reports from children, parents, and other caregivers, as well as reports from caseworkers, teachers, and data from administrative records. The data collection plan for a new cohort is currently under development and aims to obtain state and national estimates on the well-being, experiences, and services needs of children and families Administration for Children, Families, and Communities Page 85 involved with the child welfare system. This fourth round of NSCAW intends to prioritize and streamline survey questions to better understand how to support the well-being of children and families, prevent the need for foster care, and promote the recruitment and retention of safe and stable foster homes. The primary objective of the survey is to inform current and evolving policies, practices, and contexts in child Starting in FY 2022, and every year since, Congress has included a General Provision to expand funding flexibility for research projects in ACFC. All research funding provided for in the Appropriations Act can remain available for five years following appropriation. This has allowed for additional time for research and evaluation projects within the CWRTD program. Funding for the program - net of any authorized changes such as transfers or reprogramming - for five 2026, it is estimated that 16 grants will be made with an average award of $975,000 and range from Funding for this program is also used to pay information technology support and grants paneling. The FY 2027 request for Child Welfare Research, Training and Demonstration is $22.0 million, the same as the FY 2026 level. These funds will continue to support activities, including State-Tribal Partnerships to Implement Best Practices in Indian Child Welfare, NSCAW, the National Capacity Building Centers for Tribes, and the Quality Improvement Center for Workforce Analytics. The funding will support one or more additional national technical assistance centers to address child welfare workforce education, recruitment, and training needs and emphasize the full continuum of activities supported by the child For FY 2027, it is estimated that 16 awards will be made with an average award of $975,000 and a range Administration for Children, Families, and Communities Page 86

Extracted from Administration for Children, Families, and Communities, p. 10. Verbatim; nothing here is paraphrased.

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