This presentation highlights three papers from the experiences of three Permanency Innovations Initiative (PII) grantees: Washoe County, Nevada, the California Partners for Permanency (CAPP) and the Kansas Intensive Permanency Project (KIPP). The presentation addresses the methods and analyses used to identify risk characteristics for long term foster care; the methods used to engage agency partners in their selection of strategies that will be tested; and to consider the benefits of university-agency partnerships for using implementation science to drive system and practice reforms.