RESEARCH LIBRARY

How are caseworkers and social workers experiencing and working to better understand racial bias and disparities in child welfare? What are families and recipients of services saying? How can we all support critical services such as child protection while sharing in the effort to shape healthier communities? Now is the time to seek a deeper knowledge of what is and has been happening and why. We’ve been compiling research and resources to gain a shared understanding to work from.

The aftershocks of the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to impact human services agencies for the foreseeable future. As they do, we’re monitoring industry news, trends, and research reports to bring you the most helpful resources for maintaining telework, supporting your workers, and keeping up with service demand, while prioritizing safety and complying with public health emergency measures.

A new brief from the Center for Digital Government and Hyland summarizes how technology can help economic assistance agencies be more nimble and minimize churn, especially during times of crisis when vulnerable citizens need benefits the most.

Government agencies are beginning to leverage an emerging technology, robotic process automation (RPA), to streamline tasks and reduce administrative burdens. GovLoop’s eBook dives into how RPA works and what makes it successful, plus provides six examples of RPA in action at the state level.

While poverty and neglect tend to intersect, the two are not inextricably linked. Children’s Bureau Express (CBX) explains why differentiating the two is foundational for building a system that truly meets families’ needs and supports economic mobility.

We know many states and agencies still have lingering questions and concerns surrounding the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA), so we’ve rounded up several recent articles and resources to help you assess your options, plan for the best way to move forward, and navigate the impending change.

Editor’s note: we originally published this post on June 11, 2019. Since FFPSA has now officially gone into effect (despite most states delaying implementation), we’re continuously updating it to include new resources.

Carole Hussey, associate manager in Public Consulting Group’s (PCG) Human Services practice, weighs in on the value of vertical domain specialty when evaluating new technology solutions for human services, posing five questions organizations should ask throughout the process.

When child welfare agencies need to convey the value of technology they want to purchase to county administrators and other stakeholders to secure funding and resources, focusing on time-savings and cost-savings isn’t enough. To tell the whole story, it’s imperative to demonstrate social return on investment (SROI) to prove how technology will impact the well-being of the whole community.

A new survey from Government Business Council says only 40% of respondents agree their organization’s transformation efforts meet their objectives. Conflicting priorities and a lack of coordination between departments is a barrier. Respondents also lack the right systems and technology to access the data they need to make decisions.

GovLoop’s guide includes case studies, research, and expert interviews that explore key technology trends shaping the future of state and local government.