Purchase of social services: another look

Purchase of social services is an integral part of many social service delivery systems. Its advent was heralded by some as the fiscal salvation of hard-pressed social service agencies. This article reviews the problems of purchase of social services. It then discusses some of the literature and the research on the subject, including the author's own study in Utah, that are directly concerned with the variables of cost and quality. The author adds recommendations based on the findings presented.