AMS Wins Louisiana Child Welfare Contract

American Management Systems Inc. won a 15-month, $4.7 million contract with the Louisiana Social Services Department to design a Web-based child welfare system, the company announced today.

AMS of Fairfax, Va., will build the Louisiana Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System for the department's office of community services.

The system will provide child welfare workers with around-the-clock access to electronic case records and will allow courts, foster parents and service providers access to information they are allowed to obtain from the community services office.

AMS' track record of successful welfare system implementations in other states played a key role in choosing the company, said Terry Skaggs, information technology director in Louisiana's office of community services.

The company has developed or is developing similar child welfare systems for Connecticut, Illinois, New Mexico, Rhode Island and Wisconsin, said AMS officials.

AMS also has worked with state and local governments throughout the country to develop Web-enabled systems for case management, child support enforcement, benefits management and related human-services programs.