The Role of the Private Sector in Child Welfare: Historical Reflections and a Contemporary Snapshot Based on the National Survey of Private Child and Family Serving Agencies

The centennial of the founding of the Children's Bureau is an appropriate time to examine the involvement of private agencies in child welfare service provision. While placing the role of the private sector in a historical context, this article reviews current trends in child welfare practice at the system and organizational levels: namely, the contributions of private agencies across state child welfare systems. Summarizing results from the National Survey of Private Child and Family Serving Agencies, this article presents new information concerning U.S. private child welfare agencies' funding composition, service arrays, interorganizational relationships, and efforts to improve agency performance.