Description:
For public and private child welfare agencies, the focus on outcomes for children has intensified in recent years. To help align the child welfare system's focus on outcomes with how services are financed, more states are using performance-based contracting. With performance-based contracting, states shift incentives so that service providers find it easier to match the needs of children and families with the array of services offered. Despite this advantage, adopting a performance-based model poses significant policy, practice, and implementation challenges.