The Cost of Working Together

Abstract

Comprehensive systems that seek to coordinate a broad array of support services have increasingly been surfacing as an avenue for providing public services to children. Although proponents of such efforts have argued that more integrated approaches promise to be more efficient than fragmented systems of service delivery, little empirical evidence exists to support such claims. A major hurdle in making judgments about efficiency involves assessing the costs of the approach. This article develops, applies, and appraises a framework designed to guide local policy makers as they consider the types, amounts, and distribution of costs associated with comprehensive support systems for children.