The Children’s Bureau, part of the Department of Health and Human Services, administers the review process known as the Child and Family Services Reviews (CFSRs). The reviews were established by the 1994 Amendments to the Social Security Act. In 2000, the Children’s Bureau published a final rule in the Federal Register to establish a process for monitoring state child welfare programs. The review process is designed to meet statutory and regulatory requirements to provide oversight of states’ compliance with the requirements in titles IV-B and IV-E of the Social Security Act. Under the rule, states are assessed for substantial conformity with federal requirements for child welfare services. The CFSR process enables the CB to (1) ensure conformity with federal child welfare requirements; (2) determine what is happening to children and families receiving child welfare services; and (3) assist states in enhancing their capacity to help children and families achieve positive outcomes related to safety, permanency, and well-being.
The reviews provide states an opportunity to consider and critically analyze evidence of disparities in decision-making processes, programs, and policies that may contribute to inequity in services and outcomes for people of color and others who have been historically underserved, marginalized, and adversely affected by persistent poverty and inequality in the child welfare system.
Read more about the CFSR and CFSR Process in this General Fact Sheet.
Learn more about the CFSR Advisory Committee.
For questions or concerns relating to CSFR please contact JoDene Bogart at JoDene.Bogart@dss.mo.gov