Research is the starting point for all action taken by CWSA in respect to children. Our position papers, publications, contributions to national policy, legislative reform and training manuals are informed by literature research, action research, piloting, schedules, questionnaires, statistical data and so on.

As a national body, CWSA:

• Maintains a statistical database using data generated to identify social issues that require attention and to confirm that the basket of Child Welfare services for children, families and communities is having the desired effect.
• Shares and exchanges information with affiliates, other organisations, government and international bodies in order to identify good practice initiatives, maintain the quality of our contributions to national processes for children and assure the relevance of our services.

The statistical indicators of CWSA are routinely requested and referred to by other stakeholders and supports our advocacy and lobbying initiatives, inputs to social welfare policy and legislative reform, enlightens media and decision makers on worrying trends affecting the lives of children and directs CWSA to a need for more research and development of publications.

Examples of CWSA interventions based on research include: our investigations into the working conditions of social workers employed by Child Welfare, social security provision for orphans in the context of the AIDS pandemic and the contributions of CWSA to the NGO Country Report on Children’s Rights to the United Nations.