The Use of Implementation Projects to Support Change in Child Welfare

To improve safety, permanency, and well-being for children and families, the Children’s Bureau expanded and reoriented its training and technical assistance network in 2009.

Child Welfare Implementation Centers and National Resource Centers supported jurisdictions’ implementation of system reform efforts. A cross-site evaluation examined the Centers’ services and their impact on systems change and capacity building.

This brief provides an overview of—

• Implementation projects and their focus areas
• Training and technical assistance characteristics
• Approaches and findings related to assessing change in implementation capacity
• Project evaluations and outcomes
• Keys to successful implementation strategies
• Conclusions and implications for future child welfare capacity-building efforts