Cross-Center Evaluation of the Child Welfare Capacity Building Collaborative

Child welfare systems are continually challenged to achieve better outcomes for children, youth, and families. In 2014, the Children’s Bureau restructured its approach to support those systems in states, tribes, and courts by creating the Child Welfare Capacity Building Collaborative.

As the prime contractor for the 5-year cross-center evaluation (2020–2025), JBA is evaluating the Collaborative’s efforts to help systems build their capacity to meet federal standards intended to improve child safety, permanency, and well-being. The evaluation examines the technical assistance services provided by the Collaborative’s three Capacity Building Centers—the Center for States, Center for Tribes, and Center for Courts. This includes service delivery, quality, and satisfaction; implementation and outcomes of tailored services; factors influencing effectiveness, sustainability, and costs; collaboration among Centers and partnerships with federal staff; and the national recognition and reputation of the Centers.

Using a mixed-methods longitudinal approach, the evaluation collects data through surveys, interviews, focus groups, document review, and an online service delivery and outcome tracking system. Formative and summative evaluation findings will be shared regularly with the Centers and the Children’s Bureau.

The current evaluation builds on lessons learned from the previous evaluation of the Collaborative (2014–2020), which addressed the types of services provided by the Collaborative and their effectiveness, recipient satisfaction with services, collaboration with and across Centers, and cost of services. The mixed-methods process and outcome evaluation and cost study spanned three phases: assessment and design; evaluation implementation and data collection; and analysis, reporting, and dissemination. A final evaluation report was disseminated to the child welfare field, and three articles on aspects of the findings were developed for publication in peer-reviewed journals.

Previously, JBA also conducted a cross-site evaluation of the Children’s Bureau Child Welfare Implementation Centers and National Resource Centers, which preceded the Capacity Building Collaborative.