KIDS Brings Data Collection and Records Management into the 21st Century
Key Information and Demographics System (KIDS) is the software application that will
ultimately receive, process and retain demographic and service-related information about ALL
the children and youth who receive services through the Allegheny County Department of
Human Services (DHS) and their families, beginning with the DHS Office of Children, Youth
and Families (CYF). The goals of KIDS are:
Reducing paperwork and the faxing and mailing of hard copy documents;
Providing caseworkers and providers with greater and easier access to case records and
information;
Reducing the duplication in gathering and entering data;
Leading to greater coordination of service delivery;
Generating more timely notification of approvals, critical dates and reauthorizations; and
Providing more defensible data about service delivery and outcomes.
KIDS Release One streamlined the methods of collecting and processing information gathered
during the intake process by reducing the need for handwritten documents and replacing them
with electronic files that not only record the entered data, but make it available for sharing and
reporting purposes.
KIDS Release Two broadens the KIDS application to include the ability for authorized
individuals to record, edit, search and retrieve files concerning clients’ demographic information,
as well as abscondence, employment, education and health status. KIDS R2 also provides an
accessible method to keep all authorized individuals, including providers of services, aware of
what services are needed by clients, what services are being provided to clients and whether the
desired outcomes are being achieved.
Future releases of KIDS will expand the system to support the adoption and guardianship
business process, to facilitate the exchange of information with the local court system, and
ultimately to support the fiscal component of CYF.