Federal data reporting systems offer critical information to the process of improving outcomes for children and families. For over 10 years, the Child Welfare Outcomes Reports to Congress have played a key role in making this important data more available and accessible. Created by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (the Department), the Child Welfare Outcomes Reports provide information on national and State performance in seven outcome categories, in addition to data on child welfare-related contextual factors and findings of analyses conducted across States.