WHO:

Dr. Fred Wulczyn, research fellow, Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago, where he directs the Center for State Foster Care and Adoption Data. From 2006 to 2007, he served on Philadelphia Mayor John Street’s Child Welfare Review Panel. His recent writings focus on racial disparities in the foster-care system, adoption in the post-Adoption and Safe Families Act era and fiscal reform. He is the author of “Beyond Common Sense: Child Welfare, Child Well-Being and the Evidence for Policy Reform.”

WHAT:

The Field Center for Children’s Policy, Research and Practice at the University of Pennsylvania’s Spring 2008 Community Symposium "More Bang for Your Buck: Public Child Welfare and the Pursuit of Accountability.”

WHERE:

University of Pennsylvania Law School

Levy Conference Center

3400 Chestnut St.

Philadelphia, Pa.

WHEN:

Wednesday, April 9, from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.

WHY:

Return on investment has always been an important concern for donors and investors, and now it’s expanded to government and public agencies. Nationally, child welfare programs exceed $20 billion. This symposium addresses whether children are better off as a result of the money we spend on their behalf. Dr. Wulczyn will explore accountability in the child welfare system from a variety of perspectives from political to practical.