HHS Invests $6 Million in Predictive Analytics for Child Welfare Systems

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is investing $6 million to help states, territories and tribal governments pilot predictive analytics tools aimed at improving decision-making in child welfare systems.

The funding opportunity, announced Thursday by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), will support the implementation of predictive risk modeling technologies that help caseworkers assess child safety, identify families in need of support and prioritize high-risk cases. Grants will also fund staff training, governance frameworks and program evaluations.

Federal officials say the technology has the potential to reduce unnecessary foster care placements by identifying lower-risk situations where children can safely remain with their families, while helping agencies respond more quickly to cases requiring intervention.

“Child welfare caseworkers are tasked with making high-stakes decisions about child safety, often under significant pressure and without complete information,” said Alex Adams, HHS assistant secretary for family support. He said the grants are intended to expand the use of tools that have already shown success at the local level.

One frequently cited example is Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, which has used predictive risk models since 2016 to help determine whether reports of potential child abuse or neglect should be investigated.

The investment comes as child welfare agencies nationwide continue to struggle with aging technology systems. A 2025 report from the National Association of Counties found that outdated data infrastructure and fragmented case management platforms often slow caseworkers and reduce time available for direct service to children and families.

The new funding is part of a broader federal effort to modernize child welfare operations. The administration’s “A Home for Every Child” initiative, launched last year, seeks to ensure an available foster home for every child in care by improving technology systems, reducing unnecessary placements and connecting vulnerable families with support services. Twenty states have joined the initiative, including Alabama, Missouri and Texas.

Earlier this month, ACF also launched the $7 million “A Home for Every Child Innovation Challenge,” a nationwide competition designed to encourage state-led innovation in child welfare. In April, the agency introduced a new online mapping tool intended to help states develop and coordinate child welfare prevention plans more effectively.

Federal officials say the latest investments reflect a growing emphasis on using data and technology to improve outcomes for children and families while helping overburdened caseworkers make better-informed decisions.

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