November 2005Vol. 6, No. 9Funding States' Program Improvement Plans
All States were required to develop and implement Program Improvement Plans (PIPs) after the first round of Federal Child and Family Services Reviews (CFSRs). As States developed these PIPs, they were also tasked with funding the implementation. A report from the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), which reviewed States' PIP-related documents and conducted interviews with staff in 24 States, shows that States funded their PIPs in two ways:
- Using new resources made available by the State legislature
- Reallocating existing resources
A few States reported that they were able to fund their PIP implementation with new resources. In some cases, development of the PIP coincided with lawsuits brought against State child welfare systems or with other reform efforts that prompted legislative appropriations. In other cases, States were able to use the results from their CFSRs to obtain legislative approval for additional resources. New funding was related to a variety of PIP activities, including child welfare workforce improvements, comprehensive system reform, and State support of county PIP-related efforts.
Most States reallocated existing resources to implement PIPs, with the most frequent allocations targeted at enhancing quality assurance, coordinating PIP implementation, and providing technical assistance to local offices. For instance, in some States, certain staff were reassigned to quality assurance positions or technical assistance positions. In other cases, funds were reallocated to create new staff positions. Some of the creative ways that States reallocated funds allowed them to stabilize and increase the frontline workforce.
The full report on funding PIPs, Funding of Child and Family Services Reviews Program Improvement Plans, is available on the NCSL website at http://www.ncsl.org/print/cyf/fundingcfsr.pdf