Analyzed the relative performance of contract agencies providing out-of-home care by examining administrative data on the length of time it took children placed in out-of-home care to return to their families. Found that contract agency performance differs and that "agency effects" leave an independent imprint on a child's out-of-home…

This article presents results from an outcomes-based needs assessment in an urban child welfare service district. The assessment's methodology emphasized consistent data collection from actual case records and explicitly included line staff and clients in the planning process. It was concluded that such reviews could benefit a variety of…