June 9, 2009

Multiple Response System and System of Care: Two Policy Reforms Designed to Improve the Child Welfare System

In this article, Nicole Lawrence, MPA, Center for Child and Family Policy, and Elizabeth Snyder, Ph.D., Center for Child and Family Policy, write that child abuse and neglect is a serious problem in the United States. From 2004 to 2005 the number of substantiated reports of maltreatment increased by 27,000 cases. The latest report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services highlights 2006 data that indicate another increase of about 6,000 cases. This equates to a rate of 12.1 abuse and neglect victims per 1,000 children. North Carolina is one of a growing number of states implementing new and innovative strategies to improve the child welfare system. The North Carolina Division of Social Services (NCDSS) is putting two initiatives into action - the Multiple Response System (MRS) and System of Care (SOC). This policy brief focuses on the ways in which these two initiatives work in tandem to support common goals. The brief also offers recommendations and resources that policymakers and practitioners may find useful in their efforts to develop similar initiatives or to improve current practices in the child welfare system.