Privatization of child welfare services: Lessons learned from experienced states regarding site readiness assessment and planning

Background: Private agencies have a long history of providing child welfare services in the U.S. Recent attempts to improve efficiency, service quality and innovation have prompted some jurisdictions to expand privatization of these services to a broader segment of the service array. Lessons learned by public agency administrators, private providers and community stakeholders are reported. Method: Seventy-nine participants from 12 states participated in multiple focus groups. Findings: Numerous commonly shared themes emerged including: creating a shared vision for change among a range of key stakeholders, the necessity of initial and ongoing leadership to sustain efforts, challenges in establishing performance standards, and the importance of building trust and communication between partners. Findings have important implications for jurisdictions contemplating expansion of privatized child welfare services.