Dissertation Archive, WMU Graduate College

Dissertation Defense

Candidate: Timothy J. Kangas

Degree of: Doctor of Philosophy

Department: School of Public Affairs and Administration

Title: Child Welfare and Devolving Federalism: An Analysis of the Effects of Federal Funding Schemes on Intended Child Welfare Outcomes in Michigan

Date: Thursday, May 20, 2004 1:00-3:00 p.m.
2520 Sangren

Committee: Dr. Peter Kobrak, Chair
Dr. Brent Smith
Dr. Ellen Whipple

Abstract: Child abuse and neglect have become a pervasive problem across the United States. Between 1985 and 1995 the foster care population in the United States grew by 79 percent, with costs soaring into the billions. During the mid-nineties, in an effort to address this issue, the federal government shifted from using a funding scheme identified with a traditional model of federalism to one identified with devolving federalism. In Michigan, the focus of this research, the shift in approach occurred through the issuance of block grant funding for child welfare programming. The intent was to decentralize elements of the decision-making process to allow local units of government to make decisions based on local needs.

This research sought to determine if changing models of federalism, as defined by the type of funding scheme being employed, was an effective approach for improving child welfare outcomes. The research question thus became, "Is devolving federalism and effective paradigm for improving child welfare outcome?" To answer this question, a longitudinal research design was used that compared variance in the means of four defined child welfare outcomes over a nine year period. That nine-year time span was characterized by two distinct periods, one in which there was a traditional model of federalism in operation, and a subsequent period in which the model was devolving federalism. The results of the study appear to be an effective paradigm for improving child welfare outcomes.

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