September 2010Vol. 11, No. 7Updated and New Waiver Reports

New and updated reports on the Children's Bureau (CB) website provide the latest information on State demonstration projects funded through Federal waivers of certain provisions of titles IV-E and IV-B. Beginning in mid 1990s, the waivers allowed States to use their IV-E and IV-B funding for innovative child welfare programs that promoted safety, permanency, and well-being for children and families.

Twenty-four States received waivers, implementing a variety of programs that included:

• Expedited reunification services
• Intensive service options
• Managed care payment systems
• Subsidized guardianships
• Services for caregivers with substance abuse
• Tribal administration of IV-E funds
• Adoption services
• Flexible funding for prevention and other services

New Waiver Report
Summary of Subsidized Guardianship Waiver Demonstrations is a new report that provides information on 11 State programs of financial support for the legal guardians of children formerly in foster care. The report looks at key outcomes in terms of permanency rates, placement duration, maltreatment recurrence, placement disruptions and foster care reentry, and child well-being. It also examines the factors that influenced outcomes.

The report notes that the demonstration projects have contributed to the national acceptance of subsidized guardianship as a permanency option for children and youth. As the waiver projects wind down, States have the option to continue supporting guardianship programs under the Federal title IV-E Guardianship Assistance Program established as part of the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008.

Read the full report on the CB website: www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/programs_fund/cwwaiver/2010/summary_sg2010.htm

Updated Waiver Reports
Three reports on the CB website provide updated information on waiver demonstration projects:

• Summary of the Title IV-E Child Welfare Waiver Demonstrations focuses on the characteristics and evaluation outcomes of active or recently completed waivers (www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/programs_fund/cwwaiver/2010/summary_demo2010.htm).
• Profiles of the Title IV-E Child Welfare Waiver Demonstration Projects compiles comprehensive State-by-State information on the 24 States that have implemented waiver demonstration projects (www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/programs_fund/cwwaiver/2010/profiles_demo2010.pdf) (823 KB).
• Summary Table of the Title IV-E Child Welfare Waiver Demonstrations as of June 2010 offers a quick way to determine waiver types, States, and recent implementation status (www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/programs_fund/cwwaiver/2010/summary_table2010.htm).

All of these reports plus additional information on waiver demonstration projects are available on the CB website:
www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/programs_fund/index.htm#child