The National Study of the Title IV–E
Child Welfare Waiver Demonstrations is sponsored by the Children’s
Bureau, Administration for Children and Families of the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services and involves the conduct of
a cross-site study of jurisdictions (referred to as waiver
jurisdictions) approved to operate demonstrations authorized by
section 1130 of the Social Security Act, as amended by the Child
and Family Services Improvement and Innovation Act, Public Law
112–34. The demonstrations involve waivers of certain provisions of
the foster care program authorized by title IV–E of the Social
Security Act. Child welfare agencies in waiver jurisdictions are
operating demonstrations to implement a variety of programs and
interventions that serve children and families in an effort to
improve their safety, permanency, and well-being. Each waiver
jurisdiction is required to conduct a third-party evaluation of its
demonstration. The National Study will examine the extent to which
safety, permanency, and well-being outcomes have improved for
children and families; the characteristics of waiver jurisdictions
where improvements in outcomes have occurred; expenditure patterns
and the types of activities for which waiver jurisdictions have
increased funding; and the extent to which waiver jurisdictions
have experienced practice and systems-level changes. The National
Study uses a mixed-method approach to examine 25 waiver
jurisdictions (including 23 states, the District of Columbia and
one tribal government) with Terms and Conditions approved in
Federal Fiscal years 2012, 2013, and 2014. Proposed data collection
methods are two topically-focused telephone surveys: (a) A
telephone survey of waiver jurisdiction representatives and
evaluators who are focused on measuring well-being, and (b) a
second telephone survey of waiver jurisdiction representatives and
evaluators that is focused on understanding practice and
systems-level changes within child welfare service systems. Also
proposed is a Web-based survey of waiver jurisdiction
representatives and evaluators that will look more broadly at the
implementation of waiver demonstrations and corresponding changes
in child welfare policy, practice, and financing. Two sampling
survey forms are being proposed to collect the necessary contact
information for respondents to the Web-based survey and the
telephone survey focused on understanding practice and
systems-level changes within child welfare service systems. Data
collected through these instruments will be used by the Children’s
Bureau to gain an understanding of the jurisdictions’ collective
experience with implementing their demonstrations. The respondents
to the Web-Based Survey will be a purposive sample of an estimated
250 waiver jurisdiction representatives and evaluators drawn from
the 25 waiver jurisdictions with waiver demonstration projects
(Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine,
Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, Nevada, New York,
Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe, Rhode
Island, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, Washington DC, West
Virginia, Wisconsin). The Web-Based Survey Sampling Form and the
Web-Based Survey will be administered once during the National
Study. The respondents to the Measuring Well-Being telephone survey
will be a census sample of the 23 evaluators identified from the 23
waiver jurisdictions who are involved with the assessment of child
and family well-being in their waiver jurisdictions. The Measuring
Well-Being telephone survey will be administered once during the
National Study. The respondents to the Practice and Systems-Level
Change telephone survey will be a purposive sample of 60
respondents identified from 14 waiver jurisdictions who are
knowledgeable about practice and policy.
PL:
Pub.L. 112 - 34 1130 Name of Law: Child and Family Service
Improvement and Innovation Act
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.