Using administrative data to reward agency performance: the case of the federal adoption incentive program

This article explores the history of the federal Adoption Incentive Program, the first federal child welfare outcome-based incentive program to rely solely on administrative data, and discusses it within the context of other prior and ongoing federal child welfare incentive programs. Various data-related issues are also examined, including the use of data to project program utilization and costs, set baselines for the number of adoptions, and award funds. Challenges in the legislatively required use of AFCARS data for determining the amount of incentive funds awarded and the impact of the program on AFCARS reporting are also discussed. The article concludes with a look at the impact of the Adoption Incentive Program on adoption and predictions for the future.