The Child and Family Services Review (CFSR) is a federal evaluation of a state's child welfare program. The CFSR was originally established in 1980 through the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act. In its original form, the review included both a programmatic and a fiscal review; yet for some time, the programmatic component of the review was suspended. The new CFSR process was initiated in 2000.

The new process includes the emphasis on outcomes ushered in by the Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA) of 1997. The Children's Bureau, a division of the Administration of the Children and Families (of the federal Department of Health and Human Services), administers the CFSR across all fifty states. The latest set of reviews were staggered across a four year period, and Pennsylvania's review recently took place in August 2002. Because Philadelphia is the largest county in Pennsylvania, it is mandated to be a part of the review process.

The CFSR is divided into three distinct phases.

• The first phase is a preparatory phase in which the state aligns its data and prepares a document known as the "self-assessment", which examines the child welfare system utilizing seven different factors.
• The second phase includes the review itself, which usually lasts for one week.
• The third phase includes a report from the reviewers (to which the state must respond) which is known as a "Program Improvement Plan" or PIP.