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Arkansas
Context Data | Outcomes Data | State Comment | Federal Comment
Arkansas [ Context Data ]
A. Key Context Statistics
|
General Population |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
|
Total children under 18 years |
653,721 |
660,224 |
680,369 |
680,618 |
|
Race/ethnicity (%)1 |
||||
|
Alaska Native/American Indian |
0.6 |
0.6 |
0.7 |
0.7 |
|
Asian |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
0.8 |
|
Asian/Pacific Islander |
0.8 |
0.8 |
0.8 |
N/A |
|
Black |
21.2 |
21.1 |
20.6 |
20.7 |
|
Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
0.1 |
|
Hispanic |
3.0 |
3.2 |
4.7 |
4.9 |
|
White |
74.5 |
74.3 |
71.3 |
71.1 |
|
Two or more races |
N/A |
N/A |
1.7 |
1.7 |
|
Other |
N/A |
N/A |
0.1 |
N/A |
|
% Child population in poverty |
27.4 |
18.5 |
25.5 |
28.3 |
|
% Child population living in metropolitan areas |
49.1 |
45.4 |
50.5 |
48.1 |
|
Child Welfare |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
|
Child maltreatment victims |
8,578 |
7,564 |
7,479 |
6,927 |
|
Children in foster care on 9/30 |
3,138 |
2,919 |
3,045 |
2,959 |
|
Children adopted |
258 |
318 |
325 |
362 |
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 |
2001 |
1998 |
1998 |
2000 |
2001 |
|
Children subject of an investigated report alleging child maltreatment |
29,572 |
23,970 |
23,335 |
25,655 |
45.2 per 1,000 |
36.3 per 1,000 |
34.3 per 1,000 |
37.6 per 1,000 |
|
Child maltreatment victims2 |
8,578 |
7,564 |
7,479 |
6,927 |
13.1 per 1,000 |
11.5 per 1,000 |
11.0 per 1,000 |
10.1 per 1,000 |
|
Child fatalities |
5 |
9 |
12 |
22 |
0.8 per 100,000 |
1.4 per 100,000 |
1.8 per 100,000 |
3.2 per 100,000 |
|
Age of Child Victims (%) |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
|
Under 1 year |
3.2 |
2.8 |
5.9 |
5.0 |
|
1-5 years |
28.0 |
27.4 |
27.4 |
27.8 |
|
6-10 years |
31.3 |
29.8 |
29.3 |
27.3 |
|
11-15 years |
26.5 |
29.0 |
30.0 |
31.5 |
|
16+ years |
8.9 |
10.3 |
6.9 |
7.8 |
|
Unknown |
2.0 |
0.7 |
0.5 |
0.6 |
|
Total % |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
|
Number |
8,578 |
7,564 |
7,479 |
6,927 |
|
Race/Ethnicity of Child Victims (%) |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
|
Alaska Native/American Indian |
0.5 |
0.2 |
0.1 |
0.2 |
|
Asian/Pacific Islander |
0.1 |
0.1 |
0.3 |
0.2 |
|
Black |
27.2 |
19.1 |
22.4 |
21.5 |
|
Hispanic |
2.3 |
2.3 |
2.2 |
3.7 |
|
White |
67.0 |
56.6 |
72.5 |
68.4 |
|
Two or more races |
N/A |
N/A |
- |
3.8 |
|
Other/Unknown |
5.2 |
23.9 |
2.6 |
2.2 |
|
Total %3 |
102.3 |
102.3 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
|
Number |
8,578 |
7,564 |
7,479 |
6,927 |
|
Maltreatment Type of Child Victims (%) |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
|
Emotional abuse |
1.0 |
0.6 |
0.6 |
0.9 |
|
Medical neglect |
4.5 |
4.8 |
3.4 |
3.4 |
|
Neglect |
67.2 |
68.9 |
52.7 |
47.2 |
|
Physical abuse |
27.5 |
27.2 |
22.3 |
26.5 |
|
Sexual abuse |
27.2 |
37.0 |
27.9 |
30.6 |
|
Other |
- |
- |
1.2 |
0.4 |
|
Unknown |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
Total %4 |
127.4 |
138.5 |
108.0 |
109.0 |
|
Number |
8,578 |
7,564 |
7,479 |
6,927 |
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) |
2,490 |
2,737 |
2,094 |
3,138 |
5,227 |
|
FY1999 (10/1/98-9/30/99) |
2,589 |
2,489 |
2,160 |
2,919 |
5,078 |
|
FY2000 (10/1/99-9/30/00) |
3,182 |
3,542 |
3,679 |
3,045 |
6,724 |
|
FY2001 (10/1/00-9/30/01) |
2,856 |
3,347 |
3,244 |
2,959 |
6,203 |
|
Median Length of Stay (Months) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
FY1998 (10/1/97-9/30/98) |
11.3 |
N/A |
3.8 |
12.2 |
N/A |
|
FY1999 (10/1/98-9/30/99) |
15.2 |
N/A |
5.5 |
12.5 |
N/A |
|
FY2000 (10/1/99-9/30/00) |
12.3 |
N/A |
4.6 |
12.6 |
N/A |
|
FY2001 (10/1/00-9/30/01) |
12.6 |
N/A |
3.0 |
11.8 |
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 |
In Care on 10/1/00 |
Entered Care During FY 1998 |
Entered Care During FY 1999 |
Entered Care During FY 2000 |
Entered Care During FY 2001 |
Exited Care During FY 1998 |
Exited Care During FY 1999 |
Exited Care During FY 2000 |
Entered Care During FY 2001 |
In Care on 9/30/98 |
In Care on 9/30/99 |
In Care on 9/30/00 |
In Care on 9/30/01 |
|
Under 1 year |
4.6 |
3.8 |
3.6 |
4.8 |
9.6 |
9.3 |
9.7 |
9.6 |
5.1 |
4.0 |
4.8 |
5.2 |
4.2 |
3.8 |
4.7 |
4.3 |
|
1-5 years |
23.0 |
23.0 |
23.3 |
23.2 |
24.4 |
25.8 |
26.2 |
27.9 |
27.6 |
26.9 |
26.4 |
29.0 |
22.5 |
23.4 |
23.0 |
23.5 |
|
6-10 years |
21.5 |
23.9 |
21.7 |
21.5 |
23.9 |
23.2 |
23.8 |
23.3 |
20.7 |
23.8 |
23.7 |
23.6 |
23.6 |
22.4 |
21.6 |
21.0 |
|
11-15 years |
30.1 |
29.4 |
30.4 |
29.6 |
23.1 |
31.5 |
29.3 |
29.0 |
25.1 |
24.3 |
26.6 |
24.4 |
30.5 |
31.1 |
29.9 |
31.0 |
|
16-18 years |
19.8 |
18.6 |
19.6 |
19.6 |
9.9 |
10.2 |
11.0 |
10.2 |
20.4 |
19.3 |
17.3 |
16.6 |
17.8 |
18.1 |
19.4 |
18.8 |
|
19+ years |
0.7 |
1.2 |
1.3 |
1.3 |
- |
0.0 |
- |
- |
0.8 |
1.6 |
1.1 |
0.9 |
1.1 |
1.0 |
1.3 |
1.4 |
|
Unknown |
0.3 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
0.1 |
- |
- |
- |
0.3 |
0.1 |
0.2 |
0.2 |
0.3 |
0.2 |
0.1 |
0.0 |
|
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 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
|
Number |
2,490 |
2,589 |
3,182 |
2,856 |
2,737 |
2,489 |
3,542 |
3,347 |
2,094 |
2,160 |
3,679 |
3,244 |
3,138 |
2,919 |
3,045 |
2,959 |
|
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 |
In Care on 10/1/00 |
Entered Care During FY 1998 |
Entered Care During FY 1999 |
Entered Care During FY 2000 |
Entered Care During FY 2001 |
Exited Care During FY 1998 |
Exited Care During FY 1999 |
Exited Care During FY 2000 |
Entered Care During FY 2001 |
In Care on 9/30/98 |
In Care on 9/30/99 |
In Care on 9/30/00 |
In Care on 9/30/01 |
|
Alaska Native/American Indian |
0.6 |
0.3 |
0.4 |
0.0 |
0.4 |
0.4 |
0.1 |
0.4 |
0.8 |
0.5 |
0.4 |
0.2 |
0.4 |
0.3 |
0.1 |
0.3 |
|
Asian |
- |
- |
0.2 |
0.2 |
- |
- |
0.4 |
0.2 |
- |
- |
0.3 |
0.2 |
- |
- |
0.3 |
0.1 |
|
Asian/Pacific Islander |
0.2 |
0.2 |
- |
- |
0.2 |
0.3 |
- |
- |
0.3 |
0.3 |
- |
- |
0.1 |
0.2 |
- |
- |
|
Black |
41.7 |
41.6 |
40.5 |
38.2 |
31.7 |
31.9 |
30.7 |
26.4 |
29.6 |
29.9 |
32.1 |
29.0 |
40.9 |
42.1 |
39.4 |
34.9 |
|
Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander |
- |
- |
0.0 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
0.1 |
- |
- |
- |
0.1 |
- |
- |
0.0 |
- |
|
Hispanic |
1.3 |
1.6 |
2.1 |
1.9 |
2.2 |
2.6 |
2.2 |
3.2 |
2.2 |
2.3 |
2.4 |
3.1 |
1.5 |
1.9 |
1.9 |
2.0 |
|
White |
55.6 |
55.2 |
54.9 |
56.0 |
61.8 |
61.5 |
62.5 |
63.5 |
63.9 |
64.4 |
61.4 |
61.6 |
55.5 |
53.8 |
55.8 |
58.3 |
|
Two or more races |
- |
0.1 |
0.7 |
2.6 |
- |
0.3 |
1.8 |
5.0 |
- |
0.1 |
1.7 |
4.3 |
- |
0.3 |
0.7 |
3.4 |
|
Unknown |
0.6 |
0.9 |
1.2 |
1.2 |
3.7 |
2.9 |
2.3 |
1.3 |
3.2 |
2.5 |
1.7 |
1.5 |
1.6 |
1.5 |
1.9 |
0.9 |
|
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 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
|
Number |
2,490 |
2,589 |
3,182 |
2,856 |
2,737 |
2,489 |
3,542 |
3,347 |
2,094 |
2,160 |
3,679 |
3,244 |
3,138 |
2,919 |
3,045 |
2,959 |
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
D. Children Waiting to Be Adopted
(AFCARS Annual Foster Care Database)6
|
Overview |
9/30/98 |
9/30/99 |
9/30/00 |
9/30/01 |
|
Children waiting to be adopted |
335 |
867 |
817 |
810 |
|
Children whose parents' rights have been terminated (TPR) |
37 |
287 |
63 |
250 |
|
Age of Waiting Children (%) |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
|
Under 1 year |
4.5 |
4.6 |
3.7 |
3.2 |
|
1-5 years |
30.4 |
36.1 |
30.7 |
30.3 |
|
6-10 years |
33.1 |
31.4 |
33.3 |
32.5 |
|
11-15 years |
30.1 |
26.0 |
28.9 |
31.0 |
|
16+ years |
1.8 |
1.8 |
3.4 |
2.6 |
|
Unknown |
- |
0.1 |
- |
0.5 |
|
Total % |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
|
Number |
335 |
867 |
817 |
810 |
|
Race/Ethnicity of Waiting Children (%) |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
|
Alaska Native/American Indian |
- |
0.1 |
- |
0.2 |
|
Asian |
- |
- |
0.1 |
- |
|
Asian/Pacific Islander |
- |
0.1 |
- |
- |
|
Black |
42.7 |
41.6 |
41.4 |
37.8 |
|
Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
Hispanic |
0.3 |
1.8 |
2.1 |
1.7 |
|
White |
55.2 |
54.8 |
54.1 |
55.6 |
|
Two or more races |
- |
0.2 |
0.6 |
3.6 |
|
Unknown |
1.8 |
1.3 |
1.7 |
1.1 |
|
Total % |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
|
Number |
335 |
867 |
817 |
810 |
6 Waiting children are children who have a goal of adoption and/or whose parentsÂ’ 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 |
2001 |
|
Under 1 year |
3.1 |
3.5 |
3.4 |
1.7 |
|
1-5 years |
38.4 |
41.2 |
39.4 |
40.9 |
|
6-10 years |
38.8 |
30.8 |
27.1 |
32.9 |
|
11-15 years |
17.1 |
20.4 |
24.6 |
19.3 |
|
16+ years |
2.7 |
4.1 |
5.5 |
5.2 |
|
Unknown |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
Total % |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
|
Number |
258 |
318 |
325 |
362 |
|
Race/Ethnicity of Adopted Children (%) |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
|
Alaska Native/American Indian |
1.2 |
0.3 |
0.6 |
- |
|
Asian |
- |
- |
- |
0.3 |
|
Asian/Pacific Islander |
0.4 |
0.3 |
- |
- |
|
Black |
22.1 |
40.3 |
36.6 |
32.9 |
|
Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
Hispanic |
2.3 |
1.6 |
4.0 |
2.8 |
|
White |
73.6 |
53.1 |
57.2 |
61.9 |
|
Two or more races |
- |
- |
0.9 |
1.7 |
|
Unknown |
0.4 |
4.4 |
0.6 |
0.6 |
|
Total % |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
|
Number |
258 |
318 |
325 |
362 |
Arkansas [ Outcomes Data ]
1. Reduce Recurrence of Child Abuse and/or Neglect
(NCANDS)
|
1.1 Recurrence of Maltreatment Within 6 Months (%) |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
|
Children without a recurrence |
- |
95.5 |
94.4 |
94.1 |
|
Children with one or more recurrences |
- |
4.5 |
5.6 |
5.9 |
|
Total % |
- |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
|
Number |
- |
3,662 |
3,887 |
3,793 |
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 |
2001 |
|
Children maltreated while in foster care |
- |
0.29 |
0.17 |
0.26 |
|
Children not maltreated while in foster care |
- |
99.71 |
99.83 |
99.74 |
|
Total % |
- |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
|
Number |
- |
4,530 |
5,991 |
5,428 |
3. Increase Permanency for Children in Foster Care
(AFCARS Annual Foster Care Database)
|
3.1 Exits from Foster Care (%) |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
|
Adoption |
1.8 |
11.4 |
10.7 |
10.9 |
|
Guardianship |
- |
- |
- |
1.0 |
|
Reunification |
61.9 |
49.0 |
59.7 |
71.5 |
|
Other |
7.5 |
4.4 |
5.3 |
6.2 |
|
Missing data |
28.7 |
35.1 |
24.4 |
10.4 |
|
Total % |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
|
Number |
2,094 |
2,160 |
3,679 |
3,244 |
|
3.2 Exits of Disabled Children (%) |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
|
Adoption |
4.2 |
16.5 |
15.8 |
21.7 |
|
Guardianship |
- |
- |
- |
0.7 |
|
Reunification |
63.9 |
44.6 |
51.1 |
54.8 |
|
Other |
9.6 |
4.7 |
8.9 |
13.6 |
|
Missing data |
22.3 |
34.2 |
24.1 |
9.1 |
|
Total % |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
|
Number |
166 |
278 |
783 |
538 |
|
3.3 Exits of Children Over Age 12 at Entry (%) |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
|
Adoption |
0.1 |
1.3 |
2.0 |
1.8 |
|
Guardianship |
- |
- |
- |
1.7 |
|
Reunification |
45.5 |
40.1 |
54.4 |
66.8 |
|
Other |
18.3 |
11.9 |
14.3 |
15.0 |
|
Missing data |
36.1 |
46.7 |
29.2 |
14.7 |
|
Total % |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
|
Number |
743 |
673 |
1,136 |
946 |
|
3.4 Exits to Emancipation (%) |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
|
Children age 12 or younger at entry |
10.2 |
9.4 |
14.5 |
19.9 |
|
Children older than 12 at entry |
89.8 |
90.6 |
85.5 |
80.1 |
|
Missing data |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
Total % |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
|
Number |
49 |
32 |
172 |
166 |
|
3.5 Exits by Race/Ethnicity (%) |
Alaska Native/A.I. |
Asian |
Asian/Pacific Islander |
Black |
Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander |
|||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
|
Adoption |
18.8 |
9.1 |
6.7 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
14.3 |
- |
- |
1.5 |
15.7 |
10.9 |
13.8 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
Guardianship |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
1.4 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
Reunification |
62.5 |
36.4 |
40.0 |
60.0 |
- |
- |
72.7 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
28.6 |
- |
- |
61.5 |
48.4 |
61.5 |
65.9 |
- |
- |
- |
33.3 |
|
Other |
6.2 |
9.1 |
6.7 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
5.3 |
3.7 |
5.0 |
6.3 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
Missing data |
12.5 |
45.5 |
46.7 |
40.0 |
- |
- |
27.3 |
- |
- |
57.1 |
- |
- |
31.8 |
32.2 |
22.5 |
12.6 |
- |
- |
- |
66.7 |
|
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 |
- |
- |
- |
100.0 |
|
Number |
16 |
11 |
15 |
5 |
- |
- |
11 |
8 |
7 |
7 |
- |
- |
620 |
645 |
1,180 |
941 |
- |
- |
- |
3 |
|
|
Hispanic |
White |
Unable to Determine |
Two or More Races |
Missing Data |
|||||||||||||||
|
|
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
|
Adoption |
- |
4.0 |
13.5 |
9.9 |
1.9 |
9.8 |
10.9 |
10.3 |
- |
15.4 |
4.8 |
14.9 |
- |
- |
1.6 |
1.4 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
Guardianship |
- |
- |
- |
2.0 |
- |
- |
- |
1.0 |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
Reunification |
63.0 |
66.0 |
55.1 |
78.2 |
61.6 |
48.8 |
58.7 |
72.5 |
80.6 |
34.6 |
64.5 |
70.2 |
- |
100.0 |
66.1 |
89.9 |
54.8 |
66.7 |
- |
- |
|
Other |
4.3 |
2.0 |
3.4 |
5.9 |
8.9 |
4.9 |
5.8 |
6.4 |
5.6 |
3.8 |
3.2 |
6.4 |
- |
- |
- |
2.9 |
3.2 |
3.7 |
- |
- |
|
Missing data |
32.6 |
28.0 |
28.1 |
4.0 |
27.6 |
36.5 |
24.7 |
9.8 |
13.9 |
46.2 |
27.4 |
8.5 |
- |
- |
32.3 |
5.8 |
41.9 |
29.6 |
- |
100.0 |
|
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 |
- |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
- |
100.0 |
|
Number |
46 |
50 |
89 |
101 |
1,338 |
1,392 |
2,260 |
1,999 |
36 |
26 |
62 |
47 |
- |
2 |
62 |
139 |
31 |
27 |
- |
1 |
4. Reduce Time to Reunification Without Increasing
Re-entry
(AFCARS Annual Foster Care Database)
|
4.1 Time to Reunification (%) |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
|
Less than 12 mos. |
83.4 |
83.4 |
86.2 |
85.7 |
|
At least 12 mos., but less than 24 mos. |
12.4 |
10.9 |
9.4 |
10.4 |
|
At least 24 mos., but less than 36 mos. |
2.2 |
3.8 |
2.4 |
1.6 |
|
At least 36 mos., but less than 48 mos. |
1.1 |
0.6 |
0.8 |
0.6 |
|
48 or more mos. |
0.5 |
1.3 |
0.7 |
0.5 |
|
Missing data |
0.3 |
0.1 |
0.5 |
1.3 |
|
Total (%) |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
|
Number |
1,297 |
1,059 |
2,196 |
2,319 |
|
4.2 Children Who Entered Foster Care (%) |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
|
Children entering care for the first time |
89.7 |
78.7 |
85.8 |
81.4 |
|
Children re-entering care within 12 mos. of a prior episode |
7.1 |
10.6 |
10.5 |
12.1 |
|
Children re-entering care more than 12 mos. after a prior episode |
0.1 |
1.6 |
2.6 |
5.8 |
|
Missing data |
3.0 |
9.2 |
1.1 |
0.6 |
|
Total (%) |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
|
Number |
2,737 |
2,489 |
3,542 |
3,347 |
5. Reduce Time in Foster Care to Adoption
(AFCARS Annual Foster Care Database)
|
5.1 Time to Adoption (%) |
1998 |
1999 |
2000 |
2001 |
|
Less than 12 mos. |
7.9 |
4.5 |
8.7 |
5.9 |
|
At least 12 mos., but less than 24 mos. |
34.2 |
21.5 |
25.5 |
29.3 |
|
At least 24 mos., but less than 36 mos. |
21.1 |
26.4 |
21.2 |
28.7 |
|
At least 36 mos., but less than 48 mos. |
23.7 |
15.9 |
16.3 |
17.2 |
|
48 or more mos. |
13.2 |
29.7 |
11.7 |
18.9 |
|
Missing data |
- |
2.0 |
16.6 |
- |
|
Total (%) |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
|
Number |
38 |
246 |
392 |
355 |
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 |
71.0 |
28.7 |
0.3 |
100.0 |
3,112 |
|
At least 12 mos., but <24 mos. |
1998 |
64.8 |
35.0 |
0.2 |
100.0 |
1,014 |
|
At least 24 mos., but <36 mos. |
1998 |
72.2 |
27.8 |
- |
100.0 |
432 |
|
At least 36 mos., but <48 mos. |
1998 |
79.1 |
20.9 |
- |
100.0 |
211 |
|
48 or more mos. |
1998 |
83.9 |
16.1 |
- |
100.0 |
440 |
|
Missing data |
1998 |
72.2 |
22.2 |
5.6 |
100.0 |
18 |
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 |
2001 |
|
Group homes |
- |
- |
- |
0.7 |
|
Institutions |
8.7 |
8.8 |
3.8 |
8.3 |
|
Other settings |
88.9 |
90.7 |
96.0 |
90.9 |
|
Missing data |
2.3 |
0.4 |
0.2 |
0.0 |
|
Total (%) |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
100.0 |
|
Number |
1,547 |
1,640 |
2,277 |
2,318 |
Arkansas [ State Comment ]
Arkansas' comments on their data presented in Child Welfare Outcomes 2001 are as follows:
With regard to Section B, Child Maltreatment Data (NCANDS), the number of child fatalities for 2001 should be 21. We have requested that our technical staff revise the DCDC data for this element.
With regard to Section D, the Overview Section indicates that as of 9/30/01, termination of parental rights had been attained for only 31 percent of the children waiting to be adopted. We believe that this is due to the fact that the Children's Reporting and Information System, the State's SACWIS system, was difficult to understand and required staff to complete information with several data elements. The system and this screen were revised in 2002 and data in this area should reflect an accurate percent of termination of parental rights for the next federal fiscal year.
We suggest the report include an Annual Summary of State Child Welfare Data which was included in the Child Welfare Outcomes 1999 Report but was not in the 2000 report. We also suggest the key context statistics include data on the reasons children enter foster care, current case goal and length of time in care by age.
Arkansas [ Federal Comment ]
The following discussion focuses on Arkansas' performance with regard to each of the outcomes assessed in the Child Welfare Outcomes Annual Reports to Congress. The Arkansas Child and Family Services Review (CFSR) was completed in fiscal year (FY) 2001, and compliance with the national standards was based on data from 1999. The final report for that review is available from [Put CB WEBSITE information here]. A discussion of the implications of CFSR findings for Arkansas' performance on the Report to Congress Outcomes is provided in Child Welfare Outcomes 2000.
The State's performance is assessed by examining the percent change in the data for each outcome measure from 1999 to 2001. The percent change was calculated using data carried out to the second decimal point. However, with the exception of outcome measure 2.1, the data presented in the Report to Congress are rounded to one decimal for ease of reading the tables (measure 2.1 must be presented as two decimals because the national standard is less than one percent).
Outcome 1. Reduce recurrence of child abuse and/or
neglect
In calendar year (CY) 2001, the rate of recurrence of maltreatment
within 6 months was 5.9 percent, which is lower than both the
national standard of 6.1 percent or less and the national median of
8.0 percent. However, the State's performance on this measure
declined from 1999 to 2001 (+32.0 percent change). In addition,
information from the CFSR Final Report suggests that the actual
rate of maltreatment recurrence may be higher than the reported
rate of recurrence, because the agency does not routinely
investigate maltreatment reports as new reports when they are
received on families with open child welfare agency cases.
Outcome 2. Reduce the incidence of child abuse and/or neglect
in foster care
In CY 2001, the incidence of maltreatment in foster care was 0.26
percent, which meets the national standard of .57 percent or less
and is lower than the national median of .47 percent. Performance
on this measure improved slightly from 1999 to 2001 (-10.1 percent
change).
Outcome 3. Increase permanency for children in foster
care
In FY 2001, 83.4 percent of the children exiting foster care were
discharged to a permanent home (which is slightly less than the
national median of 85.3 percent); 77.2 percent of children with a
diagnosed disability exiting foster care were discharged to a
permanent home (which is slightly less than the national median of
78.4 percent); and 70.3 percent of children exiting foster care who
were older than age 12 when they entered foster care were
discharged to a permanent home (which is less than the national
median of 72.3 percent). The change in the State's performance
relevant to these outcome measures cannot be assessed, because in
prior years the level of missing data for this measure exceeded 20
percent for all measures. The data for FY 2001 represent
considerable improvement in data reporting for these measures.
Also in FY 2001, the percentage of children emancipated from foster care who were age 12 or younger when they entered foster care was 19.9. Although this percentage is lower than the national median of 28.0 percent, there was a continuous decline in performance on this measure from FY 1999 to FY 2001 (+112.0 percent change). However, only 34 children were reported as emancipated from foster care in FY 1999, compared to 166 children in FY 2001. Consequently, the change may reflect improved reporting for this measure.
Outcome 4. Reduce time to reunification without increasing
re-entry
In FY 2001, 85.7 of the children discharged to reunification were
reunified within 12 months of the time of their entry into foster
care. This exceeds both the national standard of 76.2 percent or
more and the national median of 69.2 percent. Change in performance
on this outcome cannot be appropriately assessed because of the
missing data pertaining to "reason for discharge" information in FY
1999.
Arkansas' high performance with regard to reunification within 12 months is somewhat offset by the finding that in FY 2001, the percentage of children re-entering foster care within 12 months of discharge from a prior foster care episode was 12.1, which does not meet the national standard of 8.6 or less and is higher than the national median of 10.4. In addition, performance on this measure declined from FY 1999 to FY 2001 (+14.8 percent change).
Outcome 5. Reduce time in foster care to adoption
In FY 2001, the percentage of children discharged to a finalized
adoption who had been in foster care for 24 months or less was
35.2, which meets the national standard of 32.0 percent or more and
exceeds the national median of 21.0 percent. Change in performance
on this outcome cannot be appropriately assessed because of the
missing data pertaining to "reason for discharge" information in FY
1999 and FY 2000.
Outcome 6. Increase placement stability
In FY 2001, the percentage of children who experienced no more than
2 placements during their first 12 months in foster care was 75.3,
which does not meet the national standard of 86.7 percent or more
and is less than the national median of 83.3 percent. However,
performance on this measure improved from FY 1999 to FY 2001 (+9.7
percent change).
Outcome 7. Reduce placements of young children in group homes
and institutions
In FY 2001, the percentage of children age 12 and younger placed in
a group home or institution was 9.0, which is only slightly higher
than the national median of 8.7. Although performance on this
measure did not change from FY 1999 to FY 2001, there was a
substantial improvement in performance in FY 2000, with only 3.8
percent of children age 12 and younger reported as being placed in
group homes or institutions. However, this may reflect a data
quality issue rather than an actual difference in performance.
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