title: Exploration and Adoption of Evidence-based Practice by US Child Welfare Agencies.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the extent to which child welfare agencies adopt new practices and to determine the barriers to and facilitators of adoption of new practices.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data came from telephone interviews with the directors of the 92 public child welfare agencies that constituted the probability sample for the first National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-being (NSCAWI). In a semi-structured 40 minute interview administered by a trained Research Associate, agency directors were asked about agency demographics, knowledge of evidence-based practices, use of technical assistance and actual use of evidence-based practices.. Of the 92 agencies, 83 or 90% agreed to be interviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Agencies reported that the majority of staff had a BA degree (53.45%) and that they either paid for (52.6%) or provided (80.7%) continuing education. Although agencies routinely collect standardized child outcomes (90%) they much less frequently collect measures of child functioning (30.9%). Almost all agencies (94%) had started a new program or practice but only 24.8% were evidence-based and strategies used to explore new programs or practices usually involved local or state contracts. Factors that were associated with program success included internal support for the innovation (27.3%), and an existing evidence base (23.5%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Directors of child welfare agencies frequently institute new programs or practices but they are not often evidence-based. Because virtually all agencies provide some continuing education adding discussions of evidence-based programs/practices may spur adaption. Reliance on local and state colleagues to explore new programs and practices suggests that developing well informed social networks may be a way to increase the spread of evidence0based practices.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics and Stanford Health Policy, 117 Encina Commons, Stanford, CA, USA 94305, s-arah.horwitz@stanford.edu.
authors.forename: Sarah McCue
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Horwitz
authors.affiliation: School of Social Work, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA, 90089, hurlburt@usc.edu.
authors.forename: Michael S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Hurlburt
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Stanford Health Policy, 117 Encina Commons, Stanford, CA, USA, 94305, jeremygf@stanford.edu.
authors.forename: Jeremy D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Goldhaber-Fiebert
authors.affiliation: School of Social Work, MRF339, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA, 90089, palinkas@usc.edu.
authors.forename: Lawrence A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Palinkas
authors.affiliation: Child and Adolescent Services Research Center, Rady Children's Hospital, San Diego, 3022 Children's Way, MC 5033, San Diego, CA, USA, 92123, jrolls@casrc.org.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rolls-Reutz
authors.affiliation: Child and Adolescent Services Research Center, Rady Children's Hospital, San Diego, 3022 Children's Way, MC 5033, San Diego, CA, USA, 92123, jzhang@casrc.org.
authors.forename: Jinjin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Child and Adolescent Services Research Center, Rady Children's Hospital, San Diego, 3022 Children's Way, MC 5033, San Diego, CA, USA, 92123, efisher@casrc.org.
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fisher
authors.affiliation: Child and Adolescent Services Research Center, Rady Children's Hospital, San Diego, 3022 Children's Way, MC 5033, San Diego, CA, USA, 92123, jlandsverk@casrc.org.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Landsverk
keywords: Evidence-based practice; child welfare; community networks