Performance Data for Social Service Programs

With the support and collaboration of the North Carolina Division of
Social Services, staff and faculty at the Jordan Institute for Families
at the UNC-CH School of Social Work established and maintain public
websites with performance data for three major social services programs
including child welfare, Food and Nutrition Services (formerly Food
Stamps) and Work First (TANF). These websites are unique in their use
of longitudinal data on individuals and families to track outcomes over
time and in updating available information on a monthly basis.

Child Welfare (http://ssw.unc.edu/cw)
The data and charts available through this website can help managers and
staff in state and county departments of social services, as well as the
general public, understand what happens to children and families who
become involved in the child welfare system. Its purpose is to provide
easy access to detailed information about the experiences of children
who receive reports of alleged child abuse and neglect and those who
enter foster care. Data are available at the county, judicial district
and state level and for key demographics including age, gender, race and
ethnicity.

Food and Nutrition Services (http://ssw.unc.edu/foodstamps)
This website was developed to help the NC Division of Social Services
and county departments of social services evaluate changes to the Food
Stamp Program. As part of this effort, longitudinal files have been
created that track the experiences of families that participate in the
Food Stamp Program. These data are linked with quarterly earnings data
reported to the Employment Security Commission (ESC). Data are available
at the county and state level and for key demographics including gender,
race and household size.

Work First (http://ssw.unc.edu/workfirst)
Since 1997, staff from the Jordan Institute for Families have been
developing and maintaining a set of longitudinal analysis files to
support the development and use of performance indicators by the
counties and state to assess their Work First program. As part of this
effort, data are collected from multiple sources and integrated in order
to observe the experiences of the Work First families and recipients
while they are on as well as after they leave the program. Data are
available at the county and state level and for key demographics
including age, race and family size.