Every Kid Needs a Family Giving Children in the Child Welfare System the Best Chance for Success This KIDS COUNT policy report underscores a simple fact about childhood: Family matters. Yet, today in America, 57,000 children are still living in group placements. Readers will learn about limiting the role of residential treatment care to its intended purpose and how state and local leaders can work together to enhance family-oriented services and supports. The end goal? Brighter futures — and loving families — for some of our country’s most vulnerable children. View the list of KIDS COUNT Outreach Partners, a network of organizations who help to promote KIDS COUNT data and its policy recommendations. Read More
Becoming Adults, Executive Summary One-Year Impact Findings from the Youth Villages Transitional Living Evaluation This report presents MDRC’s evaluation of the Transitional Living program located in Tennessee and operated by Youth Villages. Read More
Bringing up Baltimore One City’s Approach to Strengthening its Most Vulnerable Families Baltimore recently launched an innovative effort to fix its disconnected and disappointing system of home visiting services. The goal? Coordinate high-impact, evidence-based strategies aimed at helping the city’s most fragile families — and especially its youngest residents — lead healthier, successful lives. Read More
Policy and Practice Recommendations This report identifies 24 policy and practice recommendations for lawmakers to consider as they work to improve the lives of youth moving through and out of foster care. It is a product of the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative. Read More
Evidence2Success Action Plan Providence, Rhode Island 2015–18 Providence, Rhode Island, has adopted the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Evidence2Success framework, which champions the power of data and proven programs to improve the lives of children and youth. This document outlines the city’s three-year action plan for piloting the program in two neighborhoods. The goal? Prevent problems for young people in Providence communities before they happen, using effective public investments. Read More
10 Practices Part Two Making the Business Case: Research and References for 10 Practices and Appendices The Child Welfare Leader’s Desk Guide is designed to help busy child welfare leaders gauge their agency’s effectiveness and chart a course toward measureable improvement. Part two of the Desk Guide includes research, references and appendices that will help leaders and their staff make the business case for improving policies and practices, with a goal of improving how children in the child welfare system fare. Read More
A Child Welfare Leader's Desk Guide to Building a High-Performing Agency 10 Practices Part One The child welfare leader’s desk guide is designed to help busy child welfare leaders gauge their agency’s effectiveness and chart a course toward measureable improvement. New leaders will benefit from the desk guide’s structured, yet flexible road map for assessing their agency’s strengths and opportunities and creating an agenda for change. Read More
Expanding Economic Opportunity Lessons from the East Baltimore Revitalization Initiative In this report the reader gets an overview of how the East Baltimore Revitalization Initiative created jobs and contracting work for low-income people of color, women and local Baltimore businesses during a huge community redevelopment project. The report includes lessons learned about incorporating the strategies of economic inclusion into community development, which places the East Baltimore initiative’s efforts within a national context. Read More
The Connecticut Turnaround Case Study This report summarizes how Connecticut has made substantial progress in 5 years turning around its troubled child welfare agency. Partnering with the Casey Foundation and others, the state has instituted improvements, driven down the number of kids removed from homes and ensured that children entering state custody live in families whenever possible, not in group placements. Read More
Measuring Access to Opportunity in the United States KIDS COUNT Data Snapshot This KIDS COUNT data snapshot illustrates how outdated methods measuring poverty in the United States are giving an inaccurate picture of how families are really faring and what public programs are actually working. The brief introduces the more accurate Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM). Read More
