Department of Economic Security - Division of Children, Youth and Families - Child Protective Services - CHILDS Data Integrity Process

The report addresses the need for the Division to improve its data integrity process and training program and to streamline its CPS processes to improve the reliability of data critical to CPS operations.  The Division’s comprehensive case management computer system, CHILDS, contains key information about the children involved in the State’s child welfare system and the providers of services to these children and their families.

The report found that while the Division has implemented components of a data integrity process, some components should be improved to increase their effectiveness.  For example, problems noted on exception reports and online alerts are not resolved in a timely manner and supervisory monitoring of that process is not fully effective. In addition, while the Division has recently taken steps to improve its training program, the Division needs to address the consistency of CHILDS field training throughout the State, provide mandatory refresher trainings focused on significant changes to CHILDS, and better evaluate the effectiveness of the training that is provided to case managers.  Finally, since workload was frequently cited by case management staff as the reason data is not accurate, timely, or complete, the Division needs to comprehensively review CPS work processes to identify and address those that can be streamlined or eliminated to help ensure that staff have sufficient time to maintain CHILDS data.