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Home > Statistics & Research > Child Welfare Outcomes 2000 > North Carolina

 

Child Welfare Outcomes 2000: Annual Report
Chapter IV - State Data

Context Data | Outcomes Data | State Comment | Federal Comment
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North Carolina [ Context Data ]

A. Key Context Statistics

General Population	1998	1999	2000
Total children under 18 years	1,919,774	1,940,947	1,964,047
Race/ethnicity (%)1
Alaska Native/American Indian	1.7	1.7	1.5
Asian/Pacific Islander	1.6	1.7	1.6
Black	26.6	26.4	26.2
Hispanic	3.3	3.6	6.1
White	66.8	66.6	62.5
Two or more races	N/A	N/A	1.8
Other	N/A	N/A	0.3
% Child population in poverty	16.9	18.5	18.5
% Child population living in metropolitan areas	72.8	76.5	67.9

 

Child Welfare	1998	1999	2000
Child maltreatment victims	37,357	36,976	36,186
Children in foster care on 9/30	11,314	11,339	10,847
Children adopted	882	949	1,337

1) The 2000 Census of the United States includes two new race catagories: (1) Persons of two or more races and (2) Other. Back

 

B. Child Maltreatment Data (NCANDS)

	Number			Rate
Maltreatment Information Overview	1998	1999	2000	1998	1998	2000
Children subject of an investigated report alleging child maltreatment	125,862	127,522	123,043	65.6 per 1,000	65.7 per 1,000	62.6 per 1,000
Child maltreatment victims2	37,357	36,976	36,186	19.5 per 1,000	19.1 per 1,000	18.4 per 1,000
Child fatalities	23	21	-	1.2 per 100,000	1.1 per 100,000	- per 100,000

 

Age of Child Victims (%)	1998	1999	2000
Under 1 year	7.1	1.7	9.4
1-5 years	35.5	32.8	32.5
6-10 years	29.8	32.4	31.6
11-15 years	19.5	24.5	23.0
16+ years	8.1	8.5	3.4
Unknown	-	-	0.0
Total %	100.0	100.0	100.0
Number	37,357	36,976	36,186

 

Race/Ethnicity of Child Victims (%)	1998	1999	2000
Alaska Native/American Indian	2.3	2.4	1.9
Asian/Pacific Islander	0.8	1.1	0.7
Black	39.1	37.9	36.6
Hispanic	7.0	6.9	8.2
White	56.2	57.1	51.8
Two or more races	N/A	N/A	0.7
Other/Unknown	1.6	1.5	0.2
Total %3	107.0	106.9	100.0
Number	37,357	36,976	36,186

 

Maltreatment Type of Child Victims (%)	1998	1999	2000
Emotional abuse	0.4	0.3	0.3
Medical neglect	2.6	2.5	2.1
Neglect	87.2	87.8	89.9
Physical abuse	3.9	3.6	3.9
Sexual abuse	4.1	3.7	3.5
Other	1.8	2.1	0.4
Unknown	-	-	-
Total %4	100.0	100.0	100.0
Number	37,357	36,976	36,186

2) Children with more than one report of substantiated or indicated maltreatment may be counted more than once. Back
3) Percentages may total more than 100 percent because Hispanics may be counted both by Hispanic ethnicity and by race. Back
4) Percentages may total more than 100 percent because children could have been victims of more than one type of maltreatment. Back

C. Children in Foster Care
(AFCARS Annual Foster Care Database)

Number of Children	In Care on 10/1	Entered Care	Exited Care	In Care on 9/30	Total Served
FY1998 (10/1/97-9/30/98)	9,843	5,646	3,993	11,314	15,307
FY1999 (10/1/98-9/30/99)	10,265	5,391	4,317	11,339	15,656
FY2000 (10/1/99-9/30/00)	9,870	5,458	4,481	10,847	15,328
Median Length of Stay (Months)
FY1998 (10/1/97-9/30/98)	16.1	N/A	13.4	16.3	N/A
FY1999 (10/1/98-9/30/99)	16.9	N/A	13.0	17.9	N/A
FY2000 (10/1/99-9/30/00)	17.7	N/A	14.9	16.4	N/A

 

Age of Children in Foster Care (%)	In Care on 10/1/97	In Care on 10/1/98	In Care on 10/1/99	Entered Care During FY 1998	Entered Care During FY 1999	Entered Care During FY 2000	Exited Care During FY 1998	Exited Care During FY 1999	Exited Care During FY 2000	In Care on 9/30/98	In Care on 9/30/99	In Care on 9/30/00
Under 1 year	4.6	4.6	4.3	14.9	15.1	16.0	3.9	4.7	4.2	4.5	4.3	5.1
1-5 years	27.6	27.1	26.5	28.9	26.5	25.7	30.0	29.3	29.7	27.5	26.3	25.8
6-10 years	26.8	26.4	26.5	23.7	24.2	23.3	25.1	24.2	25.0	26.5	26.3	24.8
11-15 years	29.0	29.5	29.9	27.6	29.2	29.6	21.6	24.6	23.2	28.8	29.4	30.6
16-18 years	11.5	11.5	12.1	4.8	4.9	5.3	18.3	15.9	16.8	11.8	12.9	12.9
19+ years	0.4	0.6	0.6	0.1	0.0	0.0	1.0	1.1	0.9	0.6	0.7	0.7
Unknown	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.3	0.2	0.2	0.2
Total %	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0
Number	9,843	10,265	9,870	5,464	5,391	5,458	3,993	4,317	4,481	11,314	11,339	10,847

 

Race/Ethnicity of Children in Foster Care (%)5	In Care on 10/1/97	In Care on 10/1/98	In Care on 10/1/99	Entered Care During FY 1998	Entered Care During FY 1999	Entered Care During FY 2000	Exited Care During FY 1998	Exited Care During FY 1999	Exited Care During FY 2000	In Care on 9/30/98	In Care on 9/30/99	In Care on 9/30/00
Alaska Native/American Indian	1.7	1.5	1.9	1.9	2.6	3.5	2.7	2.4	3.0	1.4	1.7	2.3
Asian/Pacific Islander	0.2	0.3	0.3	0.5	0.3	0.4	0.5	0.4	0.5	0.3	0.2	0.3
Black	54.3	53.1	50.9	43.9	41.6	41.5	45.4	45.1	43.8	52.4	50.7	49.1
Hispanic	4.7	5.6	6.2	8.0	7.9	6.5	6.3	6.6	7.6	5.7	6.3	5.8
White	38.5	39.2	39.9	45.4	47.1	46.8	44.5	45.2	44.3	39.7	40.7	41.6
Two or more races	-	-	0.5	-	0.0	1.2	-	-	0.4	-	0.0	0.9
Unknown	0.5	0.4	0.4	0.3	0.4	0.1	0.6	0.3	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.2
Total %	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0
Number	9,843	10,265	9,870	5,464	5,391	5,458	3,993	4,317	4,481	11,314	11,339	10,847

 

5) In this and subsequent race/ethnicity tables, data for two or more races may be provided for 1998 and 1999 because of States' resubmissions. However, data for 1998 and 1999 may not capture all children of two or more races and therefore may not be comparable to the 2000 data pertaining to two or more races. Back

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D. Children Waiting to Be Adopted
(AFCARS Annual Foster Care Database)⁶

 

Overview	9/30/98	9/30/99	9/30/00
Children waiting to be adopted	4,298	3,603	3,715
Children whose parents' rights have been terminated (TPR)	2,486	1,757	2,134

 

Age of Waiting Children (%)	1998	1999	2000
Under 1 year	4.9	2.7	2.8
1-5 years	35.2	31.1	29.7
6-10 years	33.1	33.9	31.9
11-15 years	22.5	26.3	28.5
16+ years	3.9	5.1	6.6
Unknown	0.5	0.9	0.5
Total %	100.0	100.0	100.0
Number	4,298	3,603	3,715

 

Race/Ethnicity of Waiting Children (%)	1998	1999	2000
Alaska Native/American Indian	1.3	1.4	1.6
Asian/Pacific Islander	0.1	0.1	0.4
Black	53.8	53.5	53.9
Hispanic	5.4	5.9	5.7
White	38.9	38.5	37.1
Two or more races	-	-	1.0
Unknown	0.6	0.6	0.3
Total %	100.0	100.0	100.0
Number	4,298	3,603	3,715

6) Waiting children are children who have a goal of adoption and/or whose parents’ rights have been terminated. Children 16 years and older with TPR, but with a goal of emancipation, have been excluded from the waiting children and TPR populations. Back

E. Children Adopted
(AFCARS Annual Foster Care Database)

 

Age of Adopted Children (%)	1998	1999	2000
Under 1 year	4.3	3.8	4.0
1-5 years	44.0	46.4	44.9
6-10 years	33.3	32.0	33.5
11-15 years	15.6	16.2	15.3
16+ years	2.7	1.6	2.2
Unknown	-	-	0.1
Total %	100.0	100.0	100.0
Number	882	949	1,337

 

Race/Ethnicity of Adopted Children (%)	1998	1999	2000
Alaska Native/American Indian	1.4	0.6	1.2
Asian/Pacific Islander	0.8	0.5	0.5
Black	54.2	51.6	44.9
Hispanic	2.8	4.1	6.7
White	40.1	41.8	42.9
Two or more races	-	-	3.1
Unknown	0.7	1.3	0.7
Total %	100.0	100.0	100.0
Number	882	949	1,337

 

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North Carolina [ Outcomes Data ]

 

1. Reduce Recurrence of Child Abuse and/or Neglect
(NCANDS)

1.1 Recurrence of Maltreatment Within 6 Months (%)	1998	1999	2000
Children without a recurrence	92.4	92.0	91.5
Children with one or more recurrences	7.6	8.0	8.5
Total %	100.0	100.0	100.0
Number	14,261	14,159	15,841

 

 

2. Reduce the Incidence of Child Abuse and/or Neglect in Foster Care
(NCANDS, AFCARS Annual Foster Care Database Jan —Sept)

2.1 Maltreatment in Foster Care (%)	1998	1999	2000
Children maltreated while in foster care	0.6	0.8	1.5
Children not maltreated while in foster care	99.4	99.2	98.5
Total %	100.0	100.0	100.0
Number	14,316	14,447	14,121

 

 

3. Increase Permanency for Children in Foster Care
(AFCARS Annual Foster Care Database)

3.1 Exits from Foster Care (%)	1998	1999	2000
Adoption	17.1	16.3	23.0
Guardianship	10.1	10.0	8.8
Reunification	62.7	64.6	57.6
Other	10.1	9.1	10.6
Missing data	-	-	-
Total %	100.0	100.0	100.0
Number	3,993	4,317	4,481

 

 

3.2 Exits of Disabled Children (%)	1998	1999	2000
Adoption	28.2	24.1	27.0
Guardianship	10.0	8.0	6.8
Reunification	47.0	53.3	45.8
Other	14.8	14.7	20.5
Missing data	-	-	-
Total %	100.0	100.0	100.0
Number	642	565	533

 

3.3 Exits of Children Over Age 12 at Entry (%)	1998	1999	2000
Adoption	1.4	0.8	0.9
Guardianship	6.9	7.8	5.7
Reunification	65.8	70.6	68.7
Other	25.8	20.8	24.7
Missing data	-	-	-
Total %	100.0	100.0	100.0
Number	972	1,024	1,088

 

3.4 Exits to Emancipation (%)	1998	1999	2000
Children age 12 or younger at entry	27.3	33.2	28.5
Children older than 12 at entry	72.7	66.8	71.5
Missing data	-	-	-
Total %	100.0	100.0	100.0
Number	256	244	277

 

3.5 Exits by Race/Ethnicity (%)	Alaska Native/A.I.			Asian/P.I.			Black			Hispanic
	1998	1999	2000	1998	1999	2000	1998	1999	2000	1998	1999	2000
Adoption	9.2	3.8	11.3	4.8	11.1	4.3	19.4	17.7	24.4	10.7	11.6	21.4
Guardianship	20.2	40.4	33.8	9.5	-	4.3	12.6	10.3	7.9	8.7	10.2	7.0
Reunification	67.0	53.8	43.6	66.7	88.9	78.3	57.6	62.8	55.9	71.0	71.2	60.7
Other	3.7	1.9	11.3	19.0	-	13.0	10.4	9.1	11.9	9.5	7.0	10.9
Missing data	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Total %	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0
Number	109	104	133	21	18	23	1,813	1,946	1,963	252	285	341
	White			Unable to Determine			Two or More Races			Missing Data
	1998	1999	2000	1998	1999	2000	1998	1999	2000	1998	1999	2000
Adoption	16.3	16.4	22.6	13.6	23.1	47.1	-	-	25.0	-	-	-
Guardianship	7.2	8.2	8.3	9.1	-	17.6	-	-	20.0	-	-	-
Reunification	66.4	65.7	59.8	59.1	76.9	17.6	-	-	50.0	-	-	-
Other	10.1	9.8	9.3	18.2	-	17.6	-	-	5.0	-	-	-
Missing data	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Total %	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	-	-	100.0	-	-	-
Number	1,776	1,951	1,984	22	13	17	-	-	20	-	-	-

 

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4. Reduce Time to Reunification Without Increasing Re-entry
(AFCARS Annual Foster Care Database)

4.1 Time to Reunification (%)	1998	1999	2000
Less than 12 mos.	56.6	57.7	59.2
At least 12 mos., but less than 24 mos.	25.4	24.1	23.1
At least 24 mos., but less than 36 mos.	8.9	9.4	9.1
At least 36 mos., but less than 48 mos.	3.8	3.8	4.3
48 or more mos.	5.3	4.7	4.0
Missing data	0.2	0.4	0.2
Total (%)	100.0	100.0	100.0
Number	2,503	2,789	2,579

 

 

4.2 Children Who Entered Foster Care (%)	1998	1999	2000
Children entering care for the first time	96.7	97.9	97.5
Children re-entering care within 12 mos. of a prior episode	1.3	1.2	1.3
Children re-entering care more than 12 mos. after a prior episode	2.0	0.9	1.3
Missing data	-	0.0	-
Total (%)	100.0	100.0	100.0
Number	5,464	5,391	5,458

 

 

5. Reduce Time in Foster Care to Adoption
(AFCARS Annual Foster Care Database)

5.1 Time to Adoption (%)	1998	1999	2000
Less than 12 mos.	14.8	8.5	6.2
At least 12 mos., but less than 24 mos.	22.3	17.4	21.3
At least 24 mos., but less than 36 mos.	21.4	28.9	28.1
At least 36 mos., but less than 48 mos.	15.5	18.0	19.0
48 or more mos.	26.0	27.1	25.5
Missing data	-	-	-
Total (%)	100.0	100.0	100.0
Number	682	705	1,029

 

 

6. Increase Placement Stability
(AFCARS Annual Foster Care Database)

6.1 Number of Placements by Time in Care (%)	Year	Children With 2 or Fewer Placements	Children With 3 or More Placements	Missing Data	Total %	Number
Less than 12 mos.	1998 1999 2000	58.7 61.3 57.7	41.3 38.7 42.3	- - -	100.0 100.0 100.0	6,263 6,260 6,312
At least 12 mos., but <24 mos.	1998 1999 2000	46.7 41.5 38.9	53.3 58.5 61.1	- - -	100.0 100.0 100.0	3,631 3,523 3,329
At least 24 mos., but <36 mos.	1998 1999 2000	40.7 39.9 30.8	59.3 60.1 69.2	- - -	100.0 100.0 100.0	1,894 2,205 2,074
At least 36 mos., but <48 mos.	1998 1999 2000	40.9 37.8 31.8	59.1 62.2 68.2	- - -	100.0 100.0 100.0	1,188 1,184 1,287
48 or more mos.	1998 1999 2000	35.7 35.0 29.7	64.3 65.0 70.3	- - -	100.0 100.0 100.0	2,306 2,453 2,313
Missing data	1998 1999 2000	88.0 80.6 84.6	12.0 19.4 15.4	- - -	100.0 100.0 100.0	25 31 13

 

 

7. Reduce Placements of Young Children in Group Homes or Institutions
(AFCARS Annual Foster Care Database)

7.1 Most Recent Placement Settings of Children Who Entered Care During the Fiscal Year and Were Age 12 or Younger at the Time of This Placement (%)	1998	1999	2000
Group homes	3.0	3.0	3.3
Institutions	3.3	3.7	3.6
Other settings	93.6	93.2	93.0
Missing data	0.1	0.1	0.1
Total (%)	100.0	100.0	100.0
Number	4,096	3,950	3,963

 

North Carolina [ State Comment ]

Pheon E. Beal, Director
Division of Social Services
North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
919-733-3055

In reviewing the attached North Carolina Context data, our analysis indicates that the data presented in this report are consistent with the data that we have used in generating our Child Welfare Outcomes and Measures. In the context data document you have listed two areas of concern:

Section C-Children in Foster Care, which includes 1,469 fewer children in care on October 1, 1999 (9,870) than on September 30, 1999 (11,339); and Section E--Children Adopted, which includes a discrepancy between the number of children adopted in FY 2000 (1,337) and the number of exits from foster care that were reported as discharges to adoption (1,029).

During previous conversations with staff from the Children's Bureau, we have tried to determine why the number of children in foster care differs from September 30 to October 1. We will continue to consult with the Children's Bureau in order to determine the cause of this discrepancy. Our analysis of the second issue indicates that the discrepancy is primarily one of verification and timely data entry. The Adoption Information Management System (state-level adoption database) captures child-specific adoption information once the final adoption decree has been filed. State personnel enter this data after receiving hard copies of the decrees. Data produced from AIMS has a high degree of reliability. It is from this system we report the actual number of children adopted. The Child Placement and Payment System (State wide foster care database) is the source for data on numbers of children who exit foster care for adoption. County child welfare workers and data entry staff input this information into the CPPS database. At this time this information can not be verified at the State level for timely data entry. Currently, the AIMS and the CPPS databases are not linked for purposes of reporting.

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North Carolina [ Federal Comment ]

The following discussion focuses on North Carolina?s performance with regard to each of the outcomes assessed in the Child Welfare Outcomes Annual Reports to Congress. Information from the State?s Child and Family Services Review (CFSR) Final Report is used to provide a context for interpreting the State?s performance. In using CFSR information to interpret performance, it is important to note that the North Carolina CFSR was conducted in 2001 and the national data used for the review to assess performance regarding national standards was from 1999. However, the discussion of State performance relevant to the national standards in this Federal Comment section focuses on data from the year 2000, as provided in the State Data Pages. In addition, because data reported in the State Data Pages do not address child well-being issues, the last section of this discussion provides information from the CFSR Final Report relevant to the State?s performance in meeting children?s educational and physical and mental health needs.

Outcome 1. Reduce recurrence of child abuse and/or neglect
In calendar year (CY) 2000, the rate of maltreatment recurrence within 6 months was 8.5 percent, which is higher than the national standard of 6.1 percent and the national median of 7.9 percent. Information from the CFSR Final Report suggests that the actual rate of maltreatment recurrence may be higher than the reported rate because maltreatment reports on open child welfare cases are not treated as new reports and subjected to an investigation. The following are potential barriers to preventing maltreatment recurrence based on information from the CFSR Final Report: (1) the high workloads carried by caseworkers; (2) a lack of sufficient risk assessment in some cases, particularly risk associated with substance abuse or domestic violence; (3) failure in some cases to provide services in a timely manner; and (4) provision of time-limited services that are not extensive or intensive enough to meet the needs of some families.

Outcome 2. Reduce incidence of maltreatment in foster care
In CY 2000, the incidence of maltreatment in foster care was 1.5, which is higher than both the national standard of 0.57 and the national median of 0.47 percent. There is no information in the CFSR Final Report that may be used to interpret the State?s performance on this outcome measure.

Outcome 3. Increase permanency for children in foster care
In fiscal year (FY) 2000, 89.4 percent of children leaving foster care were discharged to permanent homes (which is higher than the national median of 84.7 percent), 79.6 percent of children with a diagnosed disability who exited foster care were discharged to permanent homes (which is higher than the national median of 79.5 percent), and 75.3 percent of children exiting foster care who were older than age 12 at the time of entry into foster care were discharged to permanent homes (which is higher than the national median of 72.6 percent). These findings suggest that the State is generally effective in achieving permanency for children in foster care. Information from the CFSR Final Report suggests that performance on this outcome may be attributed in part to the following: (1) adherence to the requirements of the Adoption and Safe Families Act with regard to moving children to permanency; (2) efforts by the Court Improvement Project to enhance the quality of court decisions regarding children and families; and (3) infrequent use of “long-term foster care” as a child?s case goal.

Outcome 4. Reduce time to reunification without increasing re-entry
In FY 2000, the percentage of all reunifications occurring within 12 months of children?s entry into foster care was 59.2, which is less than the national standard of 76.2 percent and the national median of 68.0 percent. Information from the CFSR Final Report suggests that a key barrier to achieving reunifications in a timely manner is the high level of staff turnover, which results in insufficient case planning and follow up with parents.

North Carolina?s performance with regard to reunifications occurring within 12 months must be balanced by the finding that in FY 2000, the percentage of children re-entering foster care within 12 months of discharge from a prior foster care episode was 1.3, which is less than both the national standard of 8.6 percent and the national median of 10.3 percent. Information from the CFSR Final Report suggests that the low rate of re-entries into foster care may be attributed to the liberal use of trial home placements and the availability of post-reunification services.

Outcome 5. Reduce time in foster care to adoption
In FY 2000, the percentage of all finalized adoptions occurring within 24 months of a child?s entry into foster care was 27.5, which does not meet the national standard of 32.0 percent but is higher than the national median of 19.7 percent. Information from the CFSR Final Report suggests that the State has made diligent efforts to expedite adoptions including enacting legislation to decrease the time required to finalize adoption and increasing the amount of the adoption assistance payment. According to information in the CFSR Final Report, a primary barrier to achieving adoptions within 24 months of entry may be delays in court hearings due to the limited court time allocated to dependency issues and to the frequent practice of some judges of granting continuances in dependency cases.

Outcome 6. Increase placement stability
In FY 2000, the percentage of children who experienced no more than 2 placements during their first 12 months in foster care was 57.7, which is lower than both the national standard of 86.7 percent and the national median of 84.3 percent. Information from the CFSR Final Report identifies the following as potential barriers to achieving placement stability: (1) insufficient placement facilities for youth, particularly therapeutic foster homes; (2) a lack of adequate support for foster parents to assist them in parenting children with behavioral and emotional problems; and (3) inadequate matching of children with foster care placements based on the children?s needs.

Outcome 7. Reduce placements of young children in group homes and institutions
In FY 2000, the percentage of children entering foster care who were age 12 and younger and who were placed in a group home or institution was 6.9, which is lower than the national median of 9.0. There is no information in the CFSR Final Report that may be used to explain the State?s performance on this measure.

Child well-being outcomes
With respect to child well-being, information from the CFSR Final Report indicates that North Carolina is generally effective in meeting children?s physical health needs, but is not as consistently effective in meeting children?s educational and mental health needs. The Final Report identifies the following as potential barriers to meeting these needs: (1) a lack of routine screening of the child?s potential educational needs, particularly in cases in which children are not in foster care placements; (2) insufficient agency attention to assessing mental health needs and/or providing services to meet those needs; (3) insufficient mental health services; (4) poor quality mental health services in some cases; and (5) payment issues that prevent social workers from accessing some services for children and families.

 

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