Identifying Skillful Practice in Child Welfare Case Record Data Through the Use of Qualitative Data-Mining

This study addresses the need for research that examines child welfare practice. It documents frontline practice as reflected in the case records created by child welfare workers as part of their day-to-day work, and identifies skillful practices in these records. The analysis examines the relationship between child welfare worker practices and short-term client outcomes in cases involving youth in foster care, identifying examples from case record data to enhance our understanding of skillful child welfare practice. The analysis focuses on youth aged 12-18, as this group represents a substantial percentage of the child welfare population and presents particularly complex practice challenges for child welfare workers.