Welfare Reform on the Web (May 2001): Child Welfare - Overseas

PREVENTIVE SERVICE DELIVERY FOR CHILDREN IN A MANAGED CARE ENVIRONMENT: CONTRASTS AND LESSONS FROM ISRAEL

G. L. Freed et al

Health Policy, vol. 55, 2001, p. 209-225

Article describes the Israeli models of preventive health care delivery, focusing on the incorporation of preventive health services into a regulated managed care approach. It addresses the risks and advantages of such changes and provides recommendations regarding the future direction of public health practice in the US and Israel.

THE SLOW DEMISE OF FOSTER CARE IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA

J. G. Barber

Social Policy Journal, vol. 30, 2001, p. 1-15

In December 1997, the South Australian alternative care system for children was restructured and the entire foster care service outsourced to the private sector by competitive tender. This has allowed the state to relinquish responsibility for the service without losing control. State control over providers is strictly enforced through tightly worded contracts which reduce them to the status of government agents. Article concludes that the state's desire to distance itself from service delivery is incompatible with the community's growing reluctance to volunteer to offer foster care.