Implementation
Policies to improve the timely exit from foster care to reunification, adoption and guardianship must include provisions for implementation and accountability to ensure they are achieving their intended results.
Prior to enactment, policymakers can anticipate implementation issues and include provisions to enhance chances for success. Even after a policy has been enacted, policymakers can continue to explore its effectiveness and to understand any possible barriers to implementation.
What You Need to Know
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Align needs and goals.
Be clear about the goals, purpose and target audience for the policy. Support clear program standards, with sufficient resources to achieve them
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Make provisions for broad based input.
Consider who should be involved in implementation and how to ensure that the needs of children and families are being met by the policy. Depending upon the policy, decide whether community (provider, parent, youth, and court) involvement in implementation is appropriate.
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Anticipate the frontline practice and provider needs.
Estimate the impact on front line staff and private providers and the resources needed for implementation.
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Support ongoing evaluation.
Ensure that resources are sufficient to evaluate implementation and support continuous program improvement. Make provisions for sharing results with key stakeholders, including the public
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Monitor quality, fiscal accountability, and performance.
Develop processes for the state to monitor the quality of implementation, ensure fiscal accountability, and track performance based on standards that are set. Ensure the current data systems and analytic capacity is sufficient to measure and report outcomes.