Gov. Kim Reynolds announced a new partnership between Iowa, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Administration for Children and Families to modernize the state’s child welfare technology system.
The agreement establishes Iowa’s new VISION system as a national model for updating Comprehensive Child Welfare Information Systems, or CCWIS. The effort also launches a federal Child Welfare Technology Incubator to help other states replicate Iowa’s approach.
State officials say older child welfare systems have often been slow, inefficient and difficult for frontline staff to use. The new VISION system, developed in partnership with Google Public Sector, is designed with user-centered principles and modular technology to improve data quality and speed up casework.
Reynolds says the modernization effort will empower caseworkers and improve services for children and families.
Federal officials say the collaboration is intended to improve outcomes for children while ensuring responsible use of taxpayer dollars.
