Many children in the child welfare system and those at risk of abuse and neglect have a variety of physical and mental health as well as social, emotional, and developmental needs. Child welfare professionals have worked for years with their counterparts in other agencies to piece together the resources available for these children and their families.

Systems of Care is an approach that facilitates these partnerships to create a broader, more seamless array of services and supports. This approach is based on the development of a strong infrastructure of interagency collaboration, individualized care practices, culturally competent services and supports, and child and family involvement in all aspects of the system. The end result is better outcomes for children and families.

Learn about Systems of Care
Find out why Systems of Care are important for child welfare, and how they can address the issues identified by the Federal Child and Family Service Reviews. Also, learn about the core values of Systems of Care and questions to guide an agency self-assessment related to these values.

Build Systems of Care in Your Community
The Clearinghouse is collecting tools and resources to help communities build Systems of Care. This section will provide examples of interagency agreements, strategic plans, assessment instruments, and more.

Communicate with Professionals about Systems of Care
Find examples of Systems of Care across the country so you can share ideas and information to help improve services for children and families in your community. This section also provides a list of Federal Systems of Care grantees, contact information, and a listserv for grantees to share questions and lessons learned.