While most state officials we  interviewed and those responding to our survey said that they recognize  the benefits their state will achieve by developing a statewide system,  many states reported that the development of their SACWIS is delayed  between 2 months and 8 years beyond the time frames the states set for  completion, with a median delay of 2-½ years. In response to some of these challenges, HHS has provided technical  assistance to help states develop their systems and conducted on-site  SACWIS reviews to verify that the systems meet all federal requirements. In developing a system, states have considerable flexibility in the design of  their SACWIS. For example,  in Iowa child welfare work is divided between child abuse and neglect  investigations and ongoing case management for children brought into the  care of the child welfare agency. Some of the common difficulties states  reported in developing SACWIS included receiving state funding approval,  reaching internal agreement on system development, and creating a  system that reflects child welfare work processes and is user friendly (see  table 7). In addition  to the development challenges reported in our survey, 2 of the 5 states we  visited reported that insufficient funding affected ongoing SACWIS  maintenance. Several Factors Affect the States’ Ability to Ensure Reliable Data on Children’s Experiences, and Some of HHS’s Oversight and Assistance Is Problematic

Several factors affect states’ ability to collect and report reliable data on  children served by state child welfare agencies, and some problems exist,  such as a lack of clear and documented guidance, with HHS’s oversight  and technical assistance. Almost all of the states responding to our survey  reported that insufficient caseworker training and inaccurate and  incomplete data entry affect the quality of the data reported to HHS. States Are Using Various Practices to Overcome System Development Challenges and Improve Data on Children’s Experiences

Some states are using a variety of practices to address the challenges  associated with developing SACWIS and improving data reliability,  although no formal evaluations are available on their effectiveness. States Use Strategies, such as Producing Reports That Identify Missing Data, in an Attempt to Improve the Reliability of the Data Reported to HHS

Twenty-eight states reported using approaches to help caseworkers  identify the data elements that are required for federal reporting and to  help them better understand the importance of entering timely and  accurate data. Although states  began reporting to NCANDS in1990 and were mandated to begin reporting  to AFCARS in 1995, most states continue to face challenges providing  complete, accurate, and consistent data to HHS. Recommendation to the Secretary of Health and Human Services

To improve the reliability of state-reported child welfare data, we are  recommending that the Secretary of HHS consider, in addition to HHS’s  recent efforts to improve AFCARS data, ways to enhance the guidance and  assistance offered to states to help them overcome the key challenges in  collecting and reporting child welfare data. We  obtained and reviewed available SACWIS and Adoption and Foster Care  Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) reports. Statewide Automated Child  Welfare Information Systems: Survey of State Progress.
Why GAO Did This Study

To better monitor children and families served by state child welfare agencies, Congress authorized matching funds for the development of statewide automated child welfare information systems (SACWIS) and required that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) compile information on the children served by state agencies. This report reviews (1) states' experiences in developing child welfare information systems and HHS's role in assisting in their development, (2) factors that affect the reliability of data that states collect and report on children served by their child welfare agencies and HHS's role in ensuring the reliability of those data, and (3) practices that child welfare agencies use to overcome challenges associated with SACWIS development and data reliability.

What GAO Found

HHS reported that 47 states are developing or operating a SACWIS, but many continue to face challenges developing their systems. Most state officials said they recognize the benefit their state will achieve by developing SACWIS, such as contributing to the timeliness of child abuse and neglect investigations; however, despite the availability of federal funds since 1994, states reported a median delay of 2 and a half years beyond the timeframes they set for completion. States reported that they encountered some difficulties during SACWIS development, such as challenges receiving state funding and creating a system that reflected their work processes. In response to some of these challenges, HHS has provided technical assistance to help states develop their systems and conducted on-site reviews of SACWIS to verify that the systems meet federal requirements. Despite efforts to implement comprehensive information systems, several factors affect the states' ability to collect and report reliable adoption, foster care, and child abuse and neglect data. States responding to GAO's survey and officials in the 5 states GAO visited reported that insufficient caseworker training and inaccurate and incomplete data entry affect the quality of the data reported to HHS. In addition, states reported technical challenges reporting data. Despite HHS's assistance, many states report ongoing challenges, such as the lack of clear and documented guidance on how to report child welfare data. In addition, although states were mandated to begin reporting data to the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) in 1995, few reviews of states' AFCARS reporting capabilities have been conducted to assist states in resolving some of their reporting challenges. Some states are using a variety of practices to address the challenges associated with developing SACWIS and improving data reliability. For example, 44 states included caseworkers and other system users in the design and testing of SACWIS, and 28 states reported using approaches to help caseworkers identify and better understand the data elements that are required for federal reporting.