ABSTRACT
The Annual Client Evaluations generated satisfaction data as well as demographic information that increased the child welfare agency's knowledge of the children in the out-of-home care system. The children rated their satisfaction with their living arrangements and with their caregivers as high, especially those who had lived in family foster care. The percentage of children in family foster care in Illinois was within a few percentage points all four years and reflects the state's emphasis on family foster care in placement decisions. Participants included state wide association representatives, advocates, service provider organizations, and the staff of the child welfare agency. The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services is one of the few child welfare agencies in the nation to ask service recipients to evaluate its performance. One of the deficits found in the child welfare system was the lack of input the children had in writing their permanency plans.
