Applying specific strategies throughout an organization’s continuous quality improvement (CQI) process can provide the focused, proactive, and sustained attention needed to identify and address racial and ethnic disparities in child welfare outcomes. This resource offers action steps that can be applied within each of the core functions of the CQI process as well as a set of cross-cutting strategies that support applying a race equity lens at any stage. This resource is designed to serve as a reference tool when implementing a CQI program, when working on a focused CQI initiative, or when facilitating an organization’s ongoing improvement planning process.
CQI leaders and practitioners—those specifically responsible for designing, implementing, and managing quality improvement, performance management, and quality assurance efforts—can refer to the strategies and action steps outlined here as they keep race equity appropriately centered within their work. CQI can play a key role in facilitating change and creating the space and direction for action and improvement. These strategies and action steps are grounded in an operationalized belief in equity and authentic engagement and in including key stakeholders in each activity of the CQI process. (author introduction)