WAFCA - CANS

Last Updated 08/26/2010

Wisconsin Child Welfare
Child & Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) - under development

Background
	In his 2009-11 Biennial Budget, the Governor initiated a number of changes to the state's child welfare system including a commitment to move to a single statewide *standardized child assessment tool* for all children entering out-of-home care. The Department of Children and Families, in consultation with stakeholders, selected the Child & Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) Assessment tool and is in the process of developing the tool for statewide implementation in January 2011.
What CANS is:
	The Child and Adolescent Needs & Strengths (CANS) Assessment is an information integration tool. Its purpose is to represent the shared vision for a child -- a vision that should include the perspectives of the child, the family and all service providers. CANS is intended to facilitate effective communication for this vision at all levels of the care system. CANS has been developed by John Lyons, Ph.D, Northwestern University, Chicago, and many stakeholders across multiple states. NOTE: In order to use the CANS tools, you must be trained and certified. WAFCA sponsored CANS certification training on July 20. Additional information about future training opportunities will be available on this site.
To Learn More about CANS in Wisconsin:
	In the Wisconsin child welfare system, CANS will be a significant part of: Determining the “level of care” required for a specific child and influencing the payments made to out of home care providers including foster parents. More clearly identifying what a child needs and determining whether or not caregivers are well-positioned to meet those needs. Measuring a child’s progress while in care and making redeterminations about the “level of care” required. CANS data will also likely contribute to: Outcome monitoring of programs and system wide Quality improvement efforts both within programs and throughout the system. Below are three key documents pertaining to the Child Welfare-CANS in Wisconsin. Note that they are draft documents and still under development. CANS Wisconsin (Assessment Tool) - draft CANS Wisconsin DCF Manual - draft CANS Wisconsin Glossary - draft The Department of Children and Families has posted two web pages to follow the developments of child welfare system initiatives related to CANS. Levels of Care Webpage http://dcf.wisconsin.gov/children/foster/levels_of_care/default.htm Child Welfare Rate Setting Webpage http://dcf.wisconsin.gov/childrenresidential/rate_regulation.htm The Wisconsin Department of Health Services is coordinating use of a mental health version of the CANS tool with children served through Coordinated Services Teams and Integrated Services Projects . DHS produced a series of CANS online videos that may assist agencies that want to further familiarize themselves with the CANS tool. DHS Mediasite catalogue http://dhsmedia.wi.gov/main/Catalog/catalogs/default.aspx (Search for “CANS”) CANS Session 03: Key Principles John Lyons Ph.D describes the 5 key principles that a rater always uses when assessing children and families with the CANS tool. (16 Minutes 39 Seconds)
FAQ - Wisconsin Child Welfare CANS “Who will be required to administer the Wisconsin Child Welfare CANS Instrument?”
Praed Foundation:
	PraedFoundation.org Founded in 1999, the Praed Foundation seeks to support transformational activities in human services, with a special emphasis on improving the lives of children and families. The Praed Foundation maintains the copyrights on the Child & Adolescent Needs and Strengths, the Family Advocacy and Support Tool, the Crisis Assessment Tool, and the Adult Needs and Strengths Assessment to ensure that they remain free for anyone to use who shares this commitment.