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Walter
R. McDonald & Associates Inc.(WRMA)'s
greatest strength is the extensive hands-on, nationwide experience
of its senior professional staff, and the resulting, exceptionally
high quality managerial and technical consulting services that these
professionals are able to provide.
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National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS), National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect |
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Since 1988, WRMA has been the technical contractor for the Children’s Bureau, Administration for Children, Youth and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for the design, implementation, and operation of the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System.
The first phase of design work developed a two-prong approach to the collection of data on child abuse and neglect from all 50 States. Key data elements were identified to be collected at aggregate- and at case-level. WRMA worked with more than 40 States to identify existing data elements and future data elements that would serve to represent the child protective services system on a national level. Data are collected on the demographics of children who are reported as victims of alleged maltreatment, the allegations of maltreatment and their resolution, the perpetrators of maltreatment, and the services that the children and families receive.
The second phase consisted of implementing the aggregate data collection survey in all 50 States and initiating a pilot study of the case-level data collection process. Technical assistance was provided to the States on all aspects of data collection and submission and a tradition of holding an annual technical assistance meeting was begun.
The third phase, which continues today, has been to increase the number of States that can submit case-level data. Technical assistance is provided at all stages of data gathering, submission, and validation. An annual report, Child Maltreatment, is produced and placed on the Internet as well as distributed to more than 8,000 institutions and individuals.
Making use of technological changes, the data are now collected electronically, technical assistance is provided to the States on-line, and on-line libraries of documents are maintained for the use of the States. The State data are both archived for academic users and available on the Children’s Bureau Web site. New data collection activities mandated by Congress have been incorporated into the NCANDS because of WRMA’s demonstrated capability in the collection of maltreatment data and the ties it has developed with State CPS agencies. Child Maltreatment has gone from a slim compendium of aggregate frequencies in its earliest days to a sophisticated analytical presentation of child maltreatment statistics incorporating both aggregate- and case-level data and multivariate and multiyear analyses. The report is recognized as the most important source of annual national statistics on child abuse and neglect. |
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