Making Data Meaningful: Using Data to Support Implementation in Child Welfare

“The purpose of this brief report is to share strategies for using data to support implementation of child welfare systems change. Through its provision of intensive, long-term training and technical assistance in six project states, the Atlantic Coast Child Welfare Implementation Center (ACCWIC) has learned practical lessons and developed multiple approaches to using data in meaningful and effective ways.”

Successful data strategies require more than a collection of data points and trends. Decision support data systems support teams in identifying the questions they are seeking to answer with their data and put mechanisms in place to make necessary adaptations to practice based on the data.