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Child Welfare Title IV-E Waiver Demonstration Projects 2012-2014
State Legislator Fact Sheet—August 27, 2012
NCSL Webinar
History and
Purpose |
To view the NCSL Webinar “Guidance on New Title IV-E Child Welfare Demonstration Projects,” click here.
Please click on NCSL’s Child Welfare Waiver Demonstration Projects Overview for updates.
Title IV-E funds are used to pay for costs of a child in foster care. They are not available to be used for services to prevent removal or for reunification services for a parent. A Child Welfare Waiver Demonstration Project can enable a state to use Title IV-E funds outside of the foster care costs restriction.
The federal Child and Family Services Improvement and Innovation Act ( P.L. 112-34), which was signed into law on September 30, 2011, reauthorized the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to approve new child welfare Title IV-E Waiver Demonstration Projects. The Waiver reauthorization does not provide additional funding. Instead, it allows more flexible use of federal Title IV-E funds to test new service delivery and financing approaches to improve outcomes for children and families involved in the child welfare system. HHS may approve up to 10 projects per year in federal fiscal years 2012 to 2014. Approved projects must be designed to accomplish one or more of the following goals:
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Increase permanency for all infants, children, and youth by reducing the time in foster placements when possible and promoting a successful transition to adulthood for older youth;
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Increase positive outcomes for infants, children, youth, and families in their homes and communities, including tribal communities, and improve safety and well-being;
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Prevent child abuse and neglect and the re-entry of infants, children and youth into foster care.
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A Resource for Innovation
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Waivers allow state and tribal child welfare agencies to design and demonstrate a wide range of approaches for improving safety, permanency, and well-being outcomes for children. The reauthorizing legislation requires applicants to demonstrate that they have implemented or plan to implement two specific program improvement strategies from a list of 10 possible approaches, including at least one strategy that the agency has not implemented previously.
HHS will give priority to projects that:
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Focus on positive well-being outcomes for children, youth and their families, especially those who have experienced trauma related to maltreatment;
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Focus on the social and emotional well-being of children and youth who are available for adoption, as well as those who have been adopted;
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Are designed to yield “more than modest improvements” in the lives of children and families and contribute to the evidence about what works to improve child and family outcomes;
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Leverage the involvement of other resources and partners to make improvements concurrently through child welfare and related program areas, such as delivery of effective mental and behavioral health services and continuity of Medicaid eligibility as children move in and out of foster care.
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How Legislators
Can Support the Waiver Demonstration Projects
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First, state legislators can determine if their state child welfare agency is preparing to submit a proposal for a 2012-2014 Child Welfare Demonstration Project, and if the project will require legislative changes to improve child and family outcomes. Legislative leadership is key to examining and promoting any promising approaches proposed for legislative consideration or state implementation. In consultation with key agency leaders, legislators have a critical role in helping to make decisions about how best to target a waiver and in creating an environment that encourages innovation. In addition, legislative support can help child welfare agencies leverage multiple funding streams and develop effective partnerships with other state agencies and service systems to improve outcomes for children and families. |
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Evidence-Based Practices |
Waiver demonstrations can support title IV-E agencies in their efforts to shift from a reliance on generic interventions to interventions with demonstrable improvements in outcomes.
Research-based approaches include:
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Trauma screening; examples: Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths Trauma Version, Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, and Pediatric Emotional Distress Scale
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Parenting interventions; examples: Parent-Child Interaction Therapy, Triple P, Children’s Summer Treatment Program
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Functional assessments; examples: Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, Child Behavior Checklist, the Social Skills Rating Scale, and Emotional Quotient Inventory Youth Version
There are a number of extensive, publicly available lists and databases of evidence-based and evidence-informed interventions for improving outcomes in vulnerable children. These include, among others:
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Submission of
Waiver Proposals |
The following states have been approved for 2012 waivers on the HHS website (click on each state to access the proposals): Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin. Click here for more info from HHS, including a proposal checklist. There was a Jan. 15 deadline for FY2013 waiver demonstration projects, however the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is accepting applications on a “rolling” basis. HHS will accept proposals after Jan. 15, however, later submissions may not be reviewed prior to the end of FY 2013. Proposals received during FY 2013 that are not reviewed during that time period will be carried over for consideration in FY 2014. Please contact your child welfare agency administration to work with them on considering the development of a waiver proposal. |
For More
Information on Waiver Demonstration Projects |
Legislators and staff can obtain more information about the waiver demonstration project, including states’ experiences with previous waiver demonstration programs, click here to go to the HHS Administration of Children and Families Website. For questions about the role of legislators in supporting effective waiver projects that can improve outcomes for children and families, please contact Nina Williams-Mbengue at the National Conference of State Legislatures at 303-856-1559 or nina.mbengue@ncsl.org. Click on NCSL’s Child Welfare Waiver Demonstration Projects Overview for updates. |
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