Wisconsin Subsidized Guardianship Assessment and Evaluation: Final Evaluation Report

The Wisconsin Subsidized Guardianship Assessment and Evaluation (also called the Wisconsin Subsidized Guardianship Title IV-E Waiver Demonstration) tested the impact on children’s safety, placement stability, and permanency outcomes on encouraging relative caregivers to become the permanent guardians of the foster children under their care. 

One of the benefits of subsidized guardianship is that it offers families another option form exiting the foster care system without sacrificing the financial assistance that they depend on for the routine maintenance and care of their children. It is also an alternative permanency outcome for children in situations in which legal adoption may not be feasible or desirable.

The evaluation used an experimental design to assess the net impact estimates for the introduction of a subsidized guardianship program into Milwaukee’s child welfare delivery system. This final report describes findings from the Guardianship Permanency Initiative and evaluation activities conducted from October 2005 through September 2009. It provides observations of the implementation of the demonstration, outcome and cost analyses, and discussions of pertinent recommendations and issues of concern.