Adverse Placement Score: Using Better Metrics to Drive Practice in Child Welfare
Child welfare agencies track tons of data, but the numbers don’t often show children’s experiences in care.
This session shares how Washington State’s Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) is piloting a new approach called the Adverse Placement Score (APS). APS turns data into information that better reflects child well-being. It looks at things like how far a child is placed from home, whether siblings are separated, and whether the placement feels family-like. The results are shown in an interactive dashboard that makes it easy to see patterns and trends in out-of-home placements.
After a brief presentation defining APS and key data findings, panelists will describe how this data is being used by leaders and staff to inform practice. The session will explore the design and implementation of APS, lessons learned from translating data into relevant tools, and how improved data can support shared accountability across policy, practice, and leadership.