Disentangling system contact and services: A key pathway to evidence-based children's policy

There is often a disconnect between the best available research and the policy decisions governing the functioning of large child-serving systems. This paper argues that this is, in part, due to conflating system contact with actual service provision. When outcomes are understood in terms of contacts as compared to services, this can lead to inappropriate or inadequate policy responses. Empirical data on contact and services for four large child-serving systems (child welfare, education, juvenile court, and mental health) are presented to illustrate this dilemma. Multi-sector services and need for collaboration are also briefly reviewed. Recommendations are made for improving data infrastructure and research to help bridge the gap between what policy makers see and actual system functioning. This is presented as a key step on the path to achieving evidence-based policy to support children's well-being.

Research highlights
► Record of a service system contact is sometimes conflated with receipt of services.
► The issue is confounded by the lack of data on services compared to contacts.
► Lack of appropriate data on services can lead to inappropriate policy decisions.
► Improving data infrastructure to connect need to services to outcomes is key.