Evaluating Privatized Child Welfare Programs: A Guide for Program Managers

In 2006, ASPE funded the Child Welfare Privatization Initiatives Project to provide information to state and local child welfare administrators who are considering or implementing privatization reforms. The project will produce six papers on a range of topics providing insights about factors that should be considered when approaching or improving upon privatization efforts. This fourth paper provides guidance on evaluating child welfare privatization initiatives. It highlights the key features of program evaluation and describes the tasks that program managers can perform to ensure successful and effective evaluation. It also includes a brief discussion about the value of cost-effectiveness analysis and the kinds of information that cost analyses can generate. [PDF - 34 pages]