Social Services Systems in States that are Creating New Governance Structures

As they work to develop integrated, community-driven service systems that meet the constellation of needs of children and families, several states are beginning to develop new governance structures at the local level. This paper describes the ways in which states are creating or supporting linkages among education, health, and human services. A conceptual framework is developed with the following themes: systemic policy change, local governance/empowerment, policy instruments, and resulting linkages. The paper uses the conceptual framework to briefly examine two state initiatives that have selected a mixture of policy instruments to create linkages among education, health, and social services. Arkansas ' Families First is an initiative that loosely links the education, health, and human service systems. Kentucky's Family Resource Centers and Youth Services Centers offer a more tightl