When it comes to decisions about child removal or placement, the best way to help children is to involve them and their families, their support networks, and professionals in the decision, a case study from the Annie E. Casey Foundation finds. The report, Team Decision Making: Engaging Families in Placement Decisions (16 pages, PDF), examined how three jurisdictions adopted the Team Decision Making in its child welfare practices and found that the TDM model led to improved outcomes, including shortened stays in foster care and a reduced likelihood of maltreatment. Moreover, despite initial skepticism on the part of caseworkers and parents, the engagement of families led to better relations between agencies, families, and the community. The report also notes that sustaining the TDM model requires commitment and effort, especially with respect to challenges around the confusion of roles and limited funding.