Accountability

In order to track our progress in improving the well-being of Maryland’s children, the Governor’s Office for Children and other child-serving agencies have adopted a Results Accountability framework.  This approach focuses planning, decision-making, and budgeting on desired results and outcomes.  The Governor’s Office for Children issues a number of reports each year aimed at tracking the efficacy of certain interventions and creating the best strategy to improve child well-being.

Results and Indicators

Results Accountability identifies a result to achieve, selects indicators that act as proxy measures for the result, tells the story behind the data, identifies necessary partners and effective strategies, and develops an action plan and budget.  Each year, on behalf of the Children’s Cabinet, the Governor’s Office for Children issues Maryland’s Results for Child Well-Being.  This report provides information on eight results from areas known to affect a child’s ability to grow up healthy and secure.  Within these eight results, the report contains information on 28 indicators that allow decision-makers to assess the progress being made in improving the well-being of Maryland’s children.  The report includes statewide and jurisdictional data where available.

Out of Home Placement

The Out-of-Home Placement Report (OOHP) is due annually to the Joint Committee on Children, Youth and Families and collects data on the number and characteristics of children in out-of-home (OOH) and out-of-state (OOS) placement.  The report focuses on jurisdictional placement numbers, census and full fiscal year counts, demographics of children served, placement costs, and breaks down the data into categories by placement type.  The information contained in the report further informs decisions to best serve Maryland’s youth.  To read the most recent report, visit the resources page.