In 1995, the Indiana Association of Residential Child Care Agencies (IARCCA), an association of children and family services, responded to a request to demonstrate effectiveness of residential care. The organization developed a vision for evaluating outcomes that incorporated collaboration with others, use of data and projection toward the future. This guiding vision led to an ongoing project for IARCCA member agencies across Indiana. This article shares lessons learned from this 15-year process, including developing benchmarks to establish best practices for serving youth. (Contains 3 tables and 1 footnote.)