CHILD STATUS INDEX

The Child Status Index (CSI) provides a framework for identifying the needs of children, creating individualized goal-directed service plans for use in monitoring the well-being of children and households, and program-level monitoring and planning at the local level. As of 2013, the CSI has been used in 17 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and Latin America. It has been translated for use in a variety of geographical, linguistic, and cultural contexts.

The last several years of CSI implementation have enabled MEASURE Evaluation and others to learn about how the CSI fits into the overall package of information gathering tools and when, and in which circumstances, the tool is best used. The CSI was developed which describes its primary use as a case management tool and lessons learned about best usage.

All information needed to use the Child Status Index in an organization or agency is available in the CSI Tool Kit. The Tool Kit consists of the Child Status Index Manual, the CSI Training Manual, a chart displaying the CSI domains, the CSI record form, a pictorial version of the CSI for low-literacy users, and a quick-reference CSI Made Easy Guide for field users of the tool.

CSI Tool Kit:

• Child Status Index Manual
  Provides a framework for identifying the needs of children, creating individualized goal-directed service plans for use in monitoring the well-being of children and households, and program-level monitoring and planning at the local level.
• Child Status Index Training Manual
  Designed to improve and standardize training for those who use the CSI.
• Child Status Index Domains
  Chart displaying the CSI domains, the goal for each domain, two factors of each domain, and descriptions of the four levels of well-being for each factor.
• Child Status Index Record Form
  Used to record background information and findings from the child assessment visit.
• Child Status Index Pictorial Version
  Presents the CSI domains, factors, and levels of well-being as pictures.
• Child Status Index Made Easy
  Contains both a pictorial and written form of the CSI and provides basic instructions for how to complete the CSI.

CSI Studies:

• Overview of Child Status Index Studies
  Provides an overview of two CSI assessments.
• (Phase 1) The Child Status Index Usage Assessment
  Presents findings from a qualitative study on how the CSI is implemented.
• (Phase 2) Decision Making Among Community-Based Volunteers Working in Vulnerable Children Programs: Child Status Index Usage Assessment
  Collected data from caregivers who work directly with vulnerable children to explore how care decisions are made by community-based volunteers and the utility of CSI at the community level as a job aid.