Evaluation of Community-Based Care and Title IV-E Waiver
Funding Source:
Florida Department of Children and Families
Overview
This project examined the Title IV-E Waiver, which enables federal funds to be more flexibly spent on preventing children who come into contact with Florida’s child welfare system from being placed in out-of-home care. It was hypothesized that Waiver implementation would lead to expansion of the existing service array offered to children and families. The purpose of the evaluation was to determine how the Waiver impacted child outcomes, including child permanency, safety, and well-being, as well as tracking Waiver implementation efforts and changes to fiscal issues. The evaluation was conducted within the context of Community-Based Care (CBC), the outsourcing of child welfare services in Florida.
Goals:
- Examine child safety, permanency and well-being outcomes for children under the IV-E Waiver.
- Describe the expansion of child welfare practices, including innovative and evidence-based practices that contribute to improved outcomes for children in the child welfare system.
- Contribute to and facilitate further dialogue among Community-Based Care leadership regarding strategies and activities needed to affect a positive impact on children and families through implementation of the IV-E Waiver.
- Describe the use of fiscal resources in Community-Based Care and its relationship to the funding flexibility provided by the IV-E Waiver.
Long-term Impact
- Improved child safety, permanency, and well-being outcomes for children in the child welfare system and a reduced need to place children in out-of-home care.
- Improved quality of child welfare services provided to children and families through the IV-E Waiver.
Recent Accomplishments
Evaluation findings across all study components disseminated at state and national conferences.
Final Evaluation Report Materials:
- FL IV-E Waiver Evaluation – Final Report – March 2012
- FL IV-E Waiver Evaluation Summary Brief – May 2012
- FL IV-E Waiver DCF Summit Presentation – Sept. 2012
Topical Papers:
- FL IV-E Waiver Topical Paper 1 – Family Engagement – June 2012
- FL IV-E Waiver Topical Paper 2 – Profiles and Outcomes – June 2012
- FL IV-E Waiver Topical Paper 3 – Prevention and Diversion Services – July 2012
- FL IV-E Waiver Topical Paper 4 – Child and Family Well-Being – July 2012
