To learn what happens to children and families who come into contact with the child welfare system, the Children's Bureau of the Administration on Children, Youth and Families has undertaken the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW). As part of this longitudinal study of the characteristics, needs, experiences, and outcomes for children and families, this report describes child welfare services in 1999-2000, based on responses from child welfare services managers who participated in the Local Agency Survey conducted during the opening wave of data collection. Information was collected from local child welfare administrators in two stages: an interview completed by field staff and a self-administered questionnaire. Findings of the study revealed that about two-thirds of the agencies were units within larger agencies, were highly collaborative with agencies providing other services, and had substantial control over how child welfare dollars were spent in their agency. About 40 percent of the agencies had developed new initiatives within the past year. Recent federal child welfare reforms resulted in central changes. About two-thirds of child abuse/neglect reports were referred for investigation. Foster care expenditures accounted for almost half of all child welfare expenditures. Characteristics of child welfare agencies varied in large versus smaller counties, poorer versus non-poor counties, urban versus non-urban counties, and state- versus county-administered child welfare programs. (Four appendices include the Local Agency Directors Interview, the self-administered questionnaire, definitions of variables used for analysis, and considerations regarding the interpretation of statistical tests. Contains 28 data tables and 14 references.) (KB)