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Chapter 6
Final Report

The Final Report is a compilation of information on the State agency's strengths and areas needing improvement regarding each of the outcomes and systemic factors reviewed through the Child and Family Services Reviews (CFSR). The primary purpose of the Final Report is to document, for the State, the determination of substantial conformity or nonconformity in each area reviewed. The review findings, supported by information from the Statewide Assessment, Onsite Review Instruments, and Stakeholder Interview Guides, form the basis of the report.

In preparing the report, the Children's Bureau Central and Regional Office staff analyze the review findings to determine substantial conformity. The Children's Bureau Central Office, through a contractor, prepares the Final Report in collaboration with the Children's Bureau Regional Office. Using the information in the report, the State then addresses, through the Program Improvement Plan (PIP) process, areas determined not to be in substantial conformity.

This chapter provides information on the format and content of Final Reports and the procedures for preparing and distributing reports.

A. Preparation of the Final Report

The information that appears in the Final Report is gathered at two points in the review process:

• After the State submits the Statewide Assessment, which includes the data profile, the Children's Bureau Regional Office prepares the Preliminary Assessment of the outcomes and systemic factors under review on the Summary of Findings Form. In the Preliminary Assessment, the Children's Bureau Regional Office summarizes and analyzes the major issues affecting substantial conformity.
  
  
• The review team gathers information during the onsite review from case record reviews and stakeholder interviews.

The Children's Bureau Central Office staff and contractor work collaboratively with the Children's Bureau Regional Office and the National Review Team (NRT) Team Leader to produce the initial draft of the Final Report by analyzing the review data and summarizing information from other sources, such as the stakeholder interviews, the Statewide Assessment, and the Preliminary Assessment.

The analysis in the report focuses on the strengths and areas needing improvement identified through each of the items related to the outcomes and systemic factors. The supporting information indicates which items contributed to achievement or lack of achievement of the outcomes or systemic factors. Only those findings that can be supported by evidence from the Statewide Assessment, Onsite Review Instruments, and Stakeholder Interview Guides are included in the Final Report.

B. Content of the Final Report

The completed Final Report to the State includes the following:

• Cover letter: The cover letter includes a statement about substantial conformity; the amount of the penalty, if applicable; and the date by which a PIP must be submitted to the Children's Bureau Regional Office, if applicable.
  
  
• Executive summary: This section summarizes the major strengths and areas needing improvement noted for each outcome and systemic factor and the status of each regarding substantial conformity. The opening paragraphs of the executive summary should note clearly the number of outcomes and systemic factors in which the State was determined to be in substantial conformity and the most significant strengths and areas needing improvement. These paragraphs should specifically note findings that involve other major participants in the State's child welfare programs, such as the courts and tribes, to focus on the need for interagency collaboration through the PIP process. After this overview in the opening paragraphs, the executive summary should include a list of the outcomes and systemic factors, and a brief description of the findings regarding each.
  
  
• Introduction: This section provides an overview of the background and purposes of the review; the outcome areas reviewed; dates and descriptions of the review activities, such as the period under review; methods used to complete the Statewide Assessment; review sites; and number of each type of case reviewed (in-home services and each of the four categories of foster care cases; see chapter 4, section C, for information on the case selection and review process).
  
  
• Summary of findings: This contains detailed information on the findings of the review regarding each outcome and systemic factor and the determination of the State's substantial conformity.
  
  The information recorded under each item in the report is specific to the item, and relevant to the applicable Child and Family Services Plan (CFSP) requirements for the item. In addition, each item must be addressed using only information obtained during the review process. Further, to protect the confidentiality of individual children, families, and representative stakeholders, the report does not include names of persons or organizations from whom information was obtained.

B.1. Example of a Final Report

The example below provides an excerpt from the Summary of Findings Form, illustrating how the Preliminary Assessment example in chapter 3 is updated with information from the onsite review for the Final Report for one of the items.

Example/Excerpt From a Final Report
II. PERMANENCY
	Permanency Outcome 1: Children have permanency and stability in their living situations.
	Number of cases reviewed by the team according to degree of outcome achievement:   Site Name 1 Site Name 2 Site Name 3 Total Number Total Percentage Substantially Achieved: 4 3 2 9 36.0 Partially Achieved: 5 2 3 10 40.0 Not Achieved or Addressed: 3 2 1 6 24.0 Not Applicable: 12 6 7 25   Conformity of data indicators with national standards:   National Standard State Score Meets Standard Does Not Meet Standard Timeliness and permanency of reunifications         Timeliness of adoptions         Achieving permanency for children in foster care         Placement stability           STATUS OF PERMANENCY OUTCOME 1 The State did not achieve substantial conformity with Permanency Outcome 1. This determination was based on the following findings: The outcome was substantially achieved in 36 percent of the cases reviewed, which is less than the 95 percent required for an overall rating of substantial conformity. The fiscal year (FY) 2006 data provided in the State data profile indicate that for FY 2006, the State did not meet the national standards for (1) timeliness and permanency of reunifications or (2) achieving permanency for children in foster care. The State data profile also indicates that the State met the national standards for (1) timeliness of adoptions and (2) placement stability. A key finding of the case record reviews was that all six items for Permanency Outcome 1 were rated as areas needing improvement. Reviewers determined that the State was not consistently effective in (1) preventing children's re-entry into foster care (item 5), (2) ensuring children's placement stability while in foster care (item 6), (3) establishing appropriate permanency goals in a timely manner (item 7), and (4) making reasonable efforts to achieve children's permanency goals in a timely manner (items 8, 9, 10). Findings pertaining to the specific items assessed under Permanency Outcome 1 are presented below. Item 5. Foster Care Re-entries ___ Strength  X  Area Needing Improvement Review Findings: Of the 40 foster care cases reviewed, 14 were applicable for an assessment of foster care re-entries because they involved children who entered foster care during the period under review. In assessing this item, reviewers determined whether entry into foster care during the period under review occurred within 12 months of discharge from a prior foster care episode. The assessment results in the following findings: Item 5 was rated as a strength in 8 (57 percent) of the 14 applicable cases. Item 5 was rated as an area needing improvement in 6 (43 percent) of the 14 applicable cases. Item 5 was rated as a strength in 8 cases because the child's entry into foster care during the period under review did not take place within 12 months of discharge from a prior foster care episode. The item was rated as an area needing improvement in 6 cases because the child had one or more entries into foster care during the period under review that occurred within 12 months of a prior episode. It should be noted that for all 6 cases rated as areas needing improvement, the children re-entered care within 3-6 months of discharge from care. Stakeholders commenting on the issue of foster care re-entry were in general agreement that the State does not provide sufficient services to families after reunification. Although the aftercare services tend to be community based and culturally relevant, the services are available only for a limited time. In addition, families residing in rural areas have fewer options for services. Some stakeholders reported that there is a lack of sufficient safety assessments conducted at the time of reunification and at the point of case closure. Determination and Discussion: Item 5 was assigned an overall rating of area needing improvement on the basis of the following: In 43 percent of the applicable cases reviewed, children entering foster care were re-entering within 12 months of discharge from a prior foster care episode. The data from the State data profile indicate that the State's data indicator relating to timeliness and permanency of reunification for FY 2006 (20 percent) did not meet the national standard. According to the Statewide Assessment, State policy does not require the agency to provide post-reunification services beyond 3 months. The State provided data that shows that most cases are closed within 60 days of reunification. The Statewide Assessment also indicated that there is not a strong array of post-reunification services available; funding is scarce and is mostly targeted to the urban areas of the State.

C. Procedures for Preparing the Final Report

The Children's Bureau Central Office staff and contractor work with the Children's Bureau Regional Office, Children's Bureau, and NRT Team Leader to prepare the Final Report, and the Children's Bureau Regional Office distributes the report once it has been reviewed and finalized. The following are the procedures and timeframes for writing the report:

• At the end of the onsite review, the Children's Bureau downloads the Onsite Review Instruments, Stakeholder Interview Guides, and other relevant reports from the CFSR Data Management System. The Children's Bureau Regional Office also should download and keep copies of the relevant documents. The Child Welfare Review Projects maintain the database of all review findings, reports of which are made available to the Children's Bureau Regional Office at its request.
  
  
• Within approximately 2 weeks after the onsite review, the Children's Bureau contractor reviews and revises, as needed, the initial draft of the Final Report and sends it to the Children's Bureau Regional Office, other Children's Bureau staff, and NRT Team Leader.
  
  
• The Children's Bureau Regional Office, Children's Bureau, and NRT Team Leader review the initial draft of the report and provide comments to the Children's Bureau contractor to be incorporated into the final draft. Any of these parties may request and arrange a conference call, as needed, to discuss the initial draft or their comments. The Children's Bureau Regional Office, in collaboration with the NRT Team Leader, finalizes the ratings for the outcomes and systemic factors on the basis of the report content.
  
  
• The Children's Bureau contractor addresses comments from the Children's Bureau Regional Office, Children's Bureau staff, and NRT Team Leader; prepares the executive summary and final version of the report; and transmits it to the Children's Bureau Regional Office, Children's Bureau staff, and NRT Team Leader.
  
  
• The NRT Team Leader forwards the report to key Children's Bureau Central and Regional Office and Administration on Children, Youth and Families (ACYF) staff for review and comment. Once these key staff return their comments to the NRT Team Leader, the NRT Team Leader then forwards them to the Children's Bureau Regional Office. The Children's Bureau Regional Office revises the report as needed, on the basis of internal Children's Bureau comments.
  
  
• The Children's Bureau Regional Office releases a courtesy copy of the report to the State within 30 days after the onsite review. The courtesy copy of the report is a final draft that provides advance notice to the State of the review findings before the findings are made public and serves as the written notice to the State of the determination of substantial conformity. The courtesy copy is not intended as an opportunity for the State to review and comment on the review findings in the report. Rather, the State's task is to review the courtesy copy for factual accuracy on the content and technical accuracy regarding how the State program operates.
  
  
• If the State identifies issues that require revision of the Final Report, it must notify the Children's Bureau Regional Office in writing within 2 weeks of receiving the courtesy copy.
  
  
• The Children's Bureau Regional Office reviews the State's proposed changes and makes any needed factual corrections to the report in response to State comments that are received within the 2-week comment period.
  
  
• While the report is being finalized by the Children's Bureau Regional Office for distribution, the State implements its plan for sharing information about the review findings if it has not done so already. (In the experience of the Children's Bureau, States benefit from a proactive approach to sharing information about the reviews.)
  
  
• Approximately 2 weeks after the Children's Bureau Regional Office sends the courtesy copy of the report to the State, the Children's Bureau Regional Office issues the official Final Report, with a cover letter to the State. (See section D below regarding the report's distribution.)

A State may request copies of the completed Onsite Review Instruments following the onsite review. If requested by the State, the Children's Bureau Regional Office will download copies of the instruments from the database, but should:

• Release copies of the Onsite Review Instruments and, upon request, printouts from the database maintained by the Child Welfare Review Projects, only after the Final Report has been issued; Stakeholder Interview Guides may not be released
  
  
• Before releasing copies of the instruments, remove all confidential identifying information (case identifiers and names) from the Onsite Review Instruments

The Children's Bureau contractor promptly notifies the Children's Bureau Regional Office, Children's Bureau, and NRT Team Leader if there are discrepancies between information in the Statewide Assessment and the onsite review findings that must be resolved. (See chapter 5, section C, for information on resolving discrepancies.) The Children's Bureau Regional Office notifies the State in writing of any discrepancies, if applicable, within 30 days following the onsite review. The Children's Bureau Regional Office subsequently incorporates into the report information obtained that resolves the discrepancy and releases a courtesy copy of the report within 30 days following resolution of the discrepancy.

D. Distribution of the Final Report

The Children's Bureau Regional Office sends a hard copy of the Final Report and a cover letter from the Children's Bureau Deputy Associate Commissioner, by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the State child welfare director (or to a higher level official, with a copy to the director). The Children's Bureau Regional Office also sends hard copies of the report and cover letter to the following parties:

• Director, Office of Regional Operations, ACF
  
  
• Regional Administrator, ACF
  
  
• Commissioner, ACYF
  
  
• Associate Commissioner, Children's Bureau
  
  
• Director, Office of Public Affairs, ACF
  
  
• Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and External Affairs, ACF

Simultaneously, the Children's Bureau Regional Office sends electronic copies of the Final Report to the following parties:

• State Team Leader
  
  
• NRT Team Leader
  
  
• CFSR Manager, Children's Bureau
  
  
• Child Welfare Review Projects (cw@jbsinternational.com)
  
  
• Child Welfare Information Gateway (info@childwelfare.gov)

The State distributes copies to State members of the review team and makes the results of the review available to the public, in accordance with Federal requirements. The Children's Bureau also publishes information pertaining to the reviews, including copies of officially released Final Reports, on its Web site and through other information outlets, as appropriate.

The State then uses the Final Report in developing its PIP. The PIP must address any outcomes or systemic factors that are not in substantial conformity and their associated items. (See chapter 7 for more information on the PIP process.)

E. Calculation of Penalty Estimates

In accordance with 45 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) §1355.36, Federal funds are to be withheld because of failure to achieve substantial conformity or failure to submit or successfully complete a PIP. The Children's Bureau Regional Office uses the Crystal Reports software in the Grants Administration, Tracking and Evaluation System (GATES) to calculate penalty estimates. The penalty estimates are noted in the letter accompanying the Final Report to the State.

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