Evaluating contract agency performance in achieving reunification

This paper analyzes the performance of contract agencies in achieving timely permanency for children in foster care. Using the Cox regression model on administrative data of children admitted in three years, we examine the hazard rate of family reunification for each agency both relative to its peers and compared with its own performance in previous years. This is achieved by introducing an interaction term between the agency dummy and the entry-year indicators. Doing this provides a dynamic and comprehensive view of an agency's performance both over time and in relation to other agencies in the same locale. We believe that our modeling technique can serve as an effective tool for child welfare administrators to evaluate the performance of foster care service providers.