New federal dashboard tracks state prevention plans for child welfare

The Administration for Children and Families on Monday rolled out a new data tool aimed at helping states move faster on child welfare prevention and possibly learn from each other in the process.

The agency, housed under Department of Health and Human Services, launched an interactive map and resource hub that tracks the status of state Title IV-E Prevention Plans and provides access to approved submissions. The plans allow states and tribes to access federal funding for services designed to keep children safely at home and avoid entry into foster care.

“This expanded resource is designed to do more than improve transparency — it is intended to accelerate action,” Alex Adams, the administration’s assistant secretary, said in a press release.

The map shows whether a state’s plan is approved, under review or not yet submitted, and highlights which evidence-based services from the federal clearinghouse are included.

Officials say the goal is to reduce duplication and speed of adoption by allowing states to replicate already approved approaches through the reuse of existing technology and policy frameworks.

“By encouraging replication of proven models,” the ACF’s Children’s Bureau “aims to help more states implement effective services that keep families safely together and prevent unnecessary foster care placements,” Ryan Hanlon, associate commissioner of Children’s Bureau, said in the release.

The new federal website builds on the agency’s A Home for Every Child initiative, which launched last year with the aim of ensuring states have at least one available foster home for each child in foster care. Several states, including Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma and Tennessee, are on performance improvement plans, designed to make more homes available and reduce the number of children entering foster care.