Shopping for CWIS modules? Make the right list.

In my house we’re working hard at becoming more responsible consumers. Whenever we’re considering buying something, we ask ourselves three questions:

1. Do I need this thing, or am I just considering it because it’s being dangled in front of me?
2. If I do need this thing, is the version I’m looking at the highest quality and best value?
3. If so, was it made by a company that shares my values?

If an item passes through this sift, it probably comes home with us.  

Child welfare is also doing some “shopping” these days. Federal funds are available to help replace aging information systems. Decision makers in state agencies — buyers just like my family and me — are making purchasing decisions. Although they have many more constraints than I do, in the end they’re evaluating available options to make their purchase. 

 Their problem statement — their purchasing sift — often focuses on two criteria. First, will this solution deliver quick wins? Child welfare organizations need something they can put to work quickly that responds to a pain point and providers a tangible way to show progress. Second, will this solution alleviate scarcity — the reality that we don’t have enough of [fill in the blank] to get our work done?

 Armed with these criteria, many states are forging a CWIS path that starts with a single module. And with increasing frequency, states are choosing a module that licenses foster parents as their first purchase. This decision addresses the problem statement perfectly, as agencies can get it quickly and then quickly see an increase in available resources for placing children. 

 I am a foster parent myself. Becoming licensed was a challenging process. I will be the first to espouse the value in improving on this important body of work. Despite that, anchoring a CWIS system on a foster parent licensing module can lead to unintended consequences and challenges.

 Here’s a way to think about that. 

 The new CWIS rules and the Families First legislation open a doorway for the reinvention of child welfare. Thirty years of practice across the country led to an outcry. We can no longer use child welfare as a tool for putting children in foster care and separating families. We need more ways to help — including earlier interventions when families are struggling — and we need the tools, partnership and funding to keep more children safe at home. 

 To start a CWIS project with foster parent licensing is to prepare a child welfare agency to do a better job of keeping children in foster care. It’s exactly the opposite of what we should be prioritizing in these new systems. 

 I propose an alternative: start with families. Look for technology designed to give biological parents the kind of information, access and transparency they desperately need. Look for a solution that will help us cue parents that they are important partners to agencies and the most critical players in their children’s lives. 

 Does this mean child welfare should not improve technology for licensing foster parents? Absolutely not. It means we instead start this journey with reinvention of our field in mind. And how we start will be an important determinant in how well we carve this new and uncharted path. 

 As decision makers in states go through the CWIS market, I invite you to reflect on how you’re thinking about potential CWIS investments. If you’re tempted by a module that promises more foster parents, I encourage you to use a slight twist on the questions my family has been asking at home:

 1. Is this module what you really need, or is it just well packaged and being dangled in front of you?  

2. If it is what you need, will it ultimately free your resources so you can meet the changing needs of child welfare? Or, will it be low cost on the front end — with big bills coming due in years to come?  

3. Finally, is the module made by a company that shares your values about child welfare? Every CWIS vendor you see will use the language of “children first” and “outcomes for families.” But are they willing to link arms with you in your effort to reinvent yourself? Or are they pushing to make a quick sale?

 Your answers to these questions will make a world of difference to the families and children you serve. 

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Molly Tierney is the Child Welfare Lead for Accenture in North America.

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