Ensuring Quality in Contracted Child Welfare Services

In 2006, ASPE funded the Child Welfare Privatization Initiatives Project to provide information to state and local child welfare administrators who are considering or implementing privatization reforms. The project has produced papers on a range of topics providing insights about factors that should be considered when approaching or improving upon privatization efforts. This sixth and final paper is intended to assist public agency child welfare administrators to better monitor and assure quality of contracted services within the context of the agencys overall quality assurance/improvement system. The paper explains the importance of planning contract monitoring and accountability systems and training staff to be effective contract monitors. It describes the types of monitoring activities, as well as methods for collecting and using information. The paper provides examples of some of the decisions that must be made about what will be measured, and how child welfare agencies have worked collaboratively with providers to develop realistic and constructive approaches to contract monitoring. [32 PDF pages]