Policy & Practice | August 2019

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settle on solutions that don’t accom- plish their goals. The community, your caseworkers, and most impor- tant, the children and families being served deserve more than just acceptable. They deserve the best of breed. The longer we wait to truly embrace risk in innovation, the longer vulner- able children and families are missing out on the safety, stability, and well- being agencies aim to provide. They deserve more, as do workers and integrated with DHW’s infrastructure, as well as the first ESPI module for intake, have been rolled out in just six months. Looking Ahead Child welfare caseworkers deserve technology that supports, rather than impedes, the life-changing work they do on behalf of vulnerable children and their families. Cloud-based CRM solutions can bring child welfare case- workers into the 21st century, helping them perform the right work for the right people at the right time. With this support from modern technology, caseworkers can better promote the safety and well-being of the children they serve. About Deloitte Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, a UK private company limited by guarantee (“DTTL”), its network of member firms, and their related entities. DTTL and each of its member firms are legally separate and independent entities. DTTL (also referred to as “Deloitte Global”) does not provide services to clients. In the United States, Deloitte refers to one or more of the US member firms of DTTL, their related entities that operate using the “Deloitte” name in the United States and their respective affiliates. Certain services may not be available to attest clients under the rules and regulations of public accounting. Please see www.deloitte.com/about to learn more about our global network of member firms.

negative? Ask a vendor to provide specific use cases or examples that demonstrate how their solution can help answer these questions. n Never settle for “technically acceptable”: Many agencies get stuck on the price tag when evalu- ating their technology options. But, using cost as the only criterion is often costlier in the long run. Simply put, the “lowest price, technically acceptable” approach should never apply when lives and well-being are at stake. Agencies should never children and families they provide support to on a daily basis. 4 Other states are also migrating to CRM platforms to manage their child welfare programs. Louisiana implemented its child protective services intake and inves- tigation modules on a cloud-based CRM platform and saved 60 percent of their annual technology costs compared to their legacy technology solution. The solution was imple- mented with an external portal that mandated reporters can use to provide nonemergent information on alleged child abuse and/or neglect. Diverting those reports to the web has reduced call wait times on the Department of Children and Family Services’ hotline. Idaho’s Department of Health andWelfare (DHW) is currently implementing Ensuring Safety and Permanency in Idaho (ESPI), a cloud- based CRM solution for child welfare. Through ESPI, the department seeks to improve child outcomes and family engagement, meet CCWIS compliance, and improve organizational effective- ness through data-driven decision making. The implementation is being guided by human-centered design prin- ciples and uses an agile-based, phased implementation approach to roll out DHW child welfare functions. To date, both the cloud-based technology archi- tecture for the entire solution, which is

This publication contains general information only and Deloitte is not, by means of this publication, rendering accounting, business, financial, investment, legal, tax, or other professional advice or services. This publication is not a substitute for such professional advice or services, nor should it be used as a basis for any decision or action that may affect your business. Before making any decision or taking any action that may affect your business, you should consult a qualified professional advisor. Deloitte shall not be responsible for any loss sustained by any person who relies on this publication. Reference Notes 1. National ChildWelfare Workforce Institute, “Child welfare workforce demographics (2000-2010): Snapshot of the frontline child welfare caseworker,” May 2011, 2. Casey Family Programs, “How does turnover affect outcomes and what can be done to address retention?” December 29, 2017, https://www.casey.org/ turnover-costs-and-retention-strategies 3. Ibid. 4. Department of Technology and Information, State of Delaware, “NASCIO 2018 Recognition Awards Nomination: FOCUS (For Our Children’s http://ncwwi.org/files/Workforce_ Demographic_Trends_May2011.pdf Copyright © 2019 Deloitte Development LLC. All rights reserved.

Ultimate Success), 2018, https:// www.nascio.org/portals/0/awards/ nominations2018/2018/NASCIO%20 Nom%20Doc-Delaware%20FOCUS.pdf

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supervisors serving on the front line, striving to positively impact lives. It’s time for agencies, advocates, partners, and leaders to step outside the comfort zone. It’s time to be open to possibilities—the “why nots?” and “what ifs?”—to take advantage of inno- vative, outcomes-driven solutions we’ve craved for so long. RFPs and RFIs are the key to unlocking critical insights and identifying and evaluating the right partners to fuel your innovation efforts, meet your mission, and position you for both immediate and future success.

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