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August 2003Vol. 4, No. 6Tools for Leaders: National Child Welfare Resource Center for Organizational Improvement

Effective leadership is key to creating organizational change. In the latest issue of Managing Care (Vol. V, No. 1; http://muskie.usm.maine.edu/helpkids/), the National Child Welfare Resource Center for Organizational Improvement's online publication, four departing child welfare directors offer tips and strategies for leaders seeking to make an impact.

The directors--Jess McDonald of Illinois, Susan Dreyfus of Wisconsin, Chuck Harris of North Carolina, and Susan Chandler of Hawaii--discuss how they achieved program improvements by using data and outcomes, investing in prevention, focusing on worker training, and collaborating with community service providers, among other strategies. The issue also features recommended reading on leadership, additional resources, and an Agency Inventory and Assessment Tool designed to help child welfare administrators begin the change process by understanding how their agency is actually working.

A service of the Children's Bureau, U.S. Administration for Children and Families, the National Child Welfare Resource Center for Organizational Improvement provides training and technical assistance services to State, Tribal, and county child welfare agencies. The Center also offers a number of valuable resources through its website (http://muskie.usm.maine.edu/helpkids), including training curricula, a catalog of relevant publications, and a teleconference series, Mapping the Changes: Using Child and Family Services Reviews to Achieve Outcomes for Children and Families.

The Center's goal is to improve management and operations, bolster organizational capacity, promote service integration, and develop supervisory and management systems resulting in improved outcomes for children and families. For more information or to discuss technical assistance services, call (800) HELP KID or email clearing@usm.maine.edu.