Collaborative Relationships and Improved Service Coordination among Child Welfare and Early Childhood Systems.

INFORMATION services; COMMUNITY health services; RESEARCH; ASSOCIATIONS, institutions, etc.; CHILD welfare; INFORMATION resources management; INTERPROFESSIONAL relations; LONGITUDINAL method; MEDICAL cooperation; QUESTIONNAIRES; SOCIAL case work; SURVEYS; INSTITUTIONAL cooperation; DATA analysis software; DESCRIPTIVE statistics; PSYCHOLOGY

This study uses social network analyses to examine inter-agency partnership outcomes for two early childhood-child welfare (ECCW) collaboratives. During their first year of collaborating, the strength (density) of organizational ties between agencies increased, reflecting more sharing of information, clients, and agency resources, while the collaboratives' centrality structures varied. Findings suggest that ECCW collaboratives may be a promising means of promoting service coordination and inter-agency partnership on behalf of young children in the child welfare system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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