The Agency Self-Assessment (ASA) is a free, strengths-based and comprehensive reporting tool for public and private child welfare agencies, community-based organizations, program administrators, juvenile justice systems, and others concerned with positive youth development.
The self-administered ASA will help states and counties to:
- Determine what they know about their independent living services and the effectiveness in improving the lives of current and former foster youth.
- Identify gaps in their data collection and analyses to ensure maximum utility of data for aggregation and reporting.
- Utilize their data reports to start, stop, redirect, or improve specific independent living services for youth.
As a foundation for this tool, we used Child Welfare League of America's Standards of Excellence for Transition, Independent Living, and Self-Sufficiency Services. Transition, independent living, and self-sufficiency services (TILSS) are defined as those programs, services, and opportunities intended to support young people in out-of-home care to develop to their full potential; contribute to their schools, programs, and the community; and succeed in work, family, and community life as adults.
The ASA is comprised of five modules. Agencies do not have to take all five and they can be taken in any order. Each module will result in its own score report. Note: "Not Applicable" responses are not scored.