With major, systematic changes being made in the way child welfare programs are carried out in Kansas, the Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services (SRS) needs to have accurate, measurable outcomes on which to judge the effect of the changes.

The agency is in the process of preparing a Request for Proposal for a firm to evaluate the program changes, including the privatization of several formerly state-operated programs. The RFP is expected to go out in March. But a first step in preparing for this outcome evaluation came recently when Mainstream Inc., a Topeka-based not-for-profit company with expertise in social service systems, was awarded a four year contract as external review coordinator for the agency.

As external review coordinator, Mainstream will be responsible for helping to develop the RFP for hiring a company to evaluate programs and then making sure that company provides the program and fiscal reports needed to accurately judge program success. Mainstream will also be responsible for raising funds from foundations to help pay for the evaluation process.

The contract award for Mainstream is $61,967 for year one and $47,819 for years two, three and four. Mainstream previously worked for SRS in organizing social service training and education and creating a federally-mandated five-year plan concerning family support. They also have worked with SRS subcontractors extensively.

Rochelle Chronister, SRS Secretary, said putting in place both an external review evaluator and an evaluation coordinator are necessary because of the degree of change that is taking place within the SRS Commission on Children and Family Services (CFS). CFS oversees child protective services and other children and family programs, and is entering new territory nationwide with a move toward basing children and family service programs on outcomes.

"Outcomes has become a major part of all our grant and contracts, and a major part of the social service work being done by the agency," she said. "Measurable outcomes will force accountability."

Examples of new outcome measures include those within contracts granted within the last several months for adoption, family preservation and foster care.

Not-for-profit companies chosen to provide these services have agreed to specific, quantifiable results. Specific outcomes are also now expected with work done by SRS, especially concerning the agency's response to abuse and neglect reports and children placed by the courts in the custody of the Secretary but not in need of out-of-home placement.

Chronister said the agency needed people from outside the agency to independently monitor programs. With Mainstream and the soon to be hired external review evaluator, those outside companies will be in place.

"Outcome measures are new to the child welfare system," she said. "This is not the way we are used to doing business. We needed someone independent of the agency to make sure we are meeting our goals."

Page Last Updated: May 29, 2001