The New Jersey Department of Children and Families (DCF) partnered with the Institute for Families at the Rutgers University School of Social Work to launch a new dashboard on the New Jersey Child Welfare Data Hub.
The dashboard is part of a statewide initiative to improve accountability and transparency related to services provided for children and families through the department’s Children’s System of Care (CSOC).
“The launch of the data couldn’t be more timely or critical, as children and youth continue to face increased levels of anxiety, stress, isolation, and a sense of loss and grief as a result of the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,” said NJ DCF Commissioner Christine Norbut Beyer. “The data tool, which is available to the general public, enhances our ability to self-monitor, adjust, and redirect resources to be more responsive to and meet the needs of youth and their families served by the Children’s System of Care.”
The new CSOC data dashboard is part of the larger New Jersey Child Welfare Data Hub system, which was created over six years ago. The data hub includes aggregated data from the department’s Division of Child Protection and Permanency and the Children’s System of Care. Additional information on population characteristics and social/economic variable data sets are also aggregated from multiple sources including, the U.S. Census Bureau, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the New Jersey Substance Abuse Monitoring System, and the NJ Department of Education.
“The new data dashboard enhances a powerful tool that allows users to explore key child welfare and well-being measures within population characteristics, and socioeconomic variables at the state and county level by providing the public a snapshot of the services provided by the Children’s System of Care and how the system interacts with at-risk youth and families every day,” said Theresa McCutcheon, director of the Institute for Families at Rutgers School of Social Work. “It’s a measure of the Department’s transparency and shared commitment to keeping the larger community informed about the needs and well-being of our children and youth.”
