Cross Agency Collaboration

The Commonwealth’s Children’s Services System is made up of child-serving agencies at the state and local levels. These agencies impact and influence the education, health and well-being of children. By transforming our system, we will improve outcomes and services for at-risk kids and families.

What do we mean by an “at-risk” child or family? Let’s say a parent has a substance abuse or mental health problem; life at home can be volatile. A child might have a difficult time concentrating or behaving in school, and consider dropping out. The parent’s abuse problem might necessitate the removal of the child from the home. Or, the child’s behavior results in time in a juvenile detention center. One aspect of the family’s situation impacts many others. The agencies that touch the family’s life – schools, social services, juvenile justice, mental health and others – are child-serving agencies.

To provide better outcomes for families requires these agencies to share information, ideas, resources and responsibility with each other.

State Agencies involved in the Transformation include the Departments of: