Building Connections: Using Integrated Administrative Data to Identify Issues and Solutions Spanning the Child...

Area of Science:

• Social Policy
• Child Welfare Systems
• Administrative Data Analysis

Background:

• Parents are often required to pay child support for children in foster care.
• Policies consider the "best interests of the child."
• Concerns exist that financial obligations may hinder child reunification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the impact of integrated child support and child welfare data on policy change in Wisconsin.
• To evaluate the effects of current child support policies on parental reunification.
• To explore the role of administrative data in policy development and cross-system innovation.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of newly integrated data from child support and child welfare systems.
• Examination of administrative data to identify policy impacts.
• Review of research efforts supporting policy implementation.

Main Results:

• Integrated data analysis informed a significant policy change in Wisconsin.
• The study identified the impacts of current child support policies on child welfare cases.
• Administrative data proved crucial in supporting policy development and cross-system innovation.

Conclusions:

• Integrated administrative data can effectively inform policy development in child welfare.
• Policy decisions regarding child support and reunification require careful consideration of integrated data.
• Further research is needed to support the implementation of data-driven innovations in child welfare systems.