Measuring Performance in Child Welfare: Secondary Effects of Success

The Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 mandates the development of a system to rate the performance of state child welfare programs. The resulting system, built on broader efforts to measure outcomes for children and families who receive support and services from the child welfare system, will inform perspectives on family foster care in the next century. Drawing on findings from evaluations of recent reform initiatives in Alabama, North Carolina, and Ohio, this article suggests that performance measurement systems must be adaptable to changing circumstances, particularly when improvements in one area can affect standards and expectations in others.