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Home > Statistics & Research > Child Welfare Outcomes 2001 > Chapter Four > Texas

 

Texas

Context Data | Outcomes Data | State Comment | Federal Comment

Texas [ Context Data ]

A. Key Context Statistics

General Population 1998 1999 2000 2001
Total children under 18 years 5,629,200 5,719,234 5,886,759 6,027,691
Race/ethnicity (%)1
 Alaska Native/American Indian 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.3
 Asian N/A N/A N/A 2.5
 Asian/Pacific Islander 2.6 2.7 2.4 N/A
 Black 12.4 '12.3 12.4 12.4
 Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander N/A N/A N/A 0.1
 Hispanic 38.5 '39.1 40.5 41.3
 White 46.4 '45.7 42.6 42.2
 Two or more races N/A N/A 1.6 1.3
 Other N/A N/A 0.1 N/A
% Child population in poverty '24.4 '22.1 22.9 21.1
% Child population living in metropolitan areas 82.9 '91.4 85.7 85.5
Child Welfare 1998 1999 2000 2001
Child maltreatment victims 39,925 39,488 45,800 44,623
Children in foster care on 9/30 15,182 16,326 18,190 19,739
Children adopted 1,602 2,063 2,040 2,318

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

B. Child Maltreatment Data (NCANDS)

blank cell Number Rate
Maltreatment Information Overview 1998 1999 2000 2001 1998 1999 2000 2001
Children subject of an investigated report alleging child maltreatment 172,718 170,834 193,966 197,838 30.7 per 1,000 29.9 per 1,000 32.9 per 1,000 32.9 per 1,000
Child maltreatment victims2 39,925 39,488 45,800 44,623 7.1 per 1,000 6.9 per 1,000 7.8 per 1,000 7.4 per 1,000
Child fatalities 176 143 177 206 3.1 per 100,000 2.5 per 100,000 3.0 per 100,000 3.4 per 100,000
Age of Child Victims (%) 1998 1999 2000 2001
Under 1 year 11.2 '10.7 11.3 12.5
1-5 years 33.2 '33.0 30.3 34.6
6-10 years 31.0 31.3 26.2 28.9
11-15 years 21.3 21.1 18.5 20.5
16+ years 3.3 3.9 3.0 3.4
Unknown 0.1 0.0 10.8 0.1
Total % 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Number 39,925 '39,488 45,800 44,623
Race/Ethnicity of Child Victims (%) 1998 1999 2000 2001
Alaska Native/American Indian 0.3 '0.3 0.2 0.1
Asian/Pacific Islander 0.6 '0.7 0.5 0.6
Black 24.8 24.5 20.4 19.4
Hispanic 34.9 33.7 36.6 38.7
White 69.6 73.2 38.7 37.6
Two or more races — — 2.0 2.2
Other/Unknown 4.7 1.4 1.7 1.5
Total %3 134.9 133.7 100.0 100.0
Number 39,925 '39,488 45,800 44,623
Maltreatment Type of Child Victims (%) 1998 1999 2000 2001
Emotional 3.9 '3.5 3.4 3.0
Medical neglect 4.8 '5.1 4.7 4.9
Neglect 57.3 59.6 59.3 60.6
Physical abuse 29.9 29.3 28.2 27.7
Sexual abuse 15.7 14.9 14.6 14.8
Other 3.4 3.5 1.4 1.1
Unknown — — — —
Total %4 115.0 115.9 111.5 112.1
Number 39,925 '39,488 45,800 44,623

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) 15,818 7,025 7,665 15,182 22,843
FY1999 (10/1/98-9/30/99) 15,582 8,938 8,200 16,326 24,520
FY2000 (10/1/99-9/30/00) 16,303 9,869 7,989 18,190 26,172
FY2001 (10/1/00-9/30/01) 17,914 10,680 8,858 19,739 28,594
Median Length of Stay (Months)          
FY1998 (10/1/97-9/30/98) 22.4 N/A 17.2 18.8 N/A
FY1999 (10/1/98-9/30/99) 20.1 N/A 15.8 14.5 N/A
FY2000 (10/1/99-9/30/00) 15.8 N/A 13.6 13.6 N/A
FY2001 (10/1/00-9/30/01) 14.4 N/A 14.0 13.5 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 Exited 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 5.0 5.2 6.8 7.0 18.7 20.1 20.7 20.7 4.8 5.2 5.6 5.5 5.3 7.0 7.4 7.4
1-5 years 27.8 26.3 26.3 27.7 30.1 31.4 32.5 33.2 33.2 34.1 36.1 38.7 26.7 26.8 28.3 29.4
6-10 years 25.6 26.1 25.4 24.7 22.8 22.8 22.6 21.4 23.0 22.6 23.3 22.5 26.3 25.5 24.7 23.1
11-15 years 27.7 28.9 29.0 28.6 22.8 20.3 20.2 20.3 17.2 17.5 17.1 16.0 29.1 28.5 27.9 28.3
16-18 years 13.6 13.5 12.5 11.9 5.6 5.4 3.9 4.4 20.8 20.0 17.6 17.3 12.5 12.1 11.6 11.8
19+ years 0.2 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 — — — 0.9 0.5 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Unknown 0.0 — — 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.0 — — 0.0 — 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 15,818 15,582 16,303 17,914 7,025 8,938 9,869 10,680 7,665 8,200 7,989 8,858 15,182 16,326 18,190 19,739
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 Exited 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 0.4 0.3 0.4 0.4 0.3 0.4 0.4 0.1 0.3 0.4 0.4 0.3 0.3 0.4 0.4 0.3
Asian — — 0.2 0.2 — — 0.4 0.5 — — 0.4 0.4 — — 0.3 0.3
Asian/Pacific Islander 0.1 0.1 — — 0.3 0.5 — — 0.2 0.3 — — 0.1 0.2 — —
Black 32.9 31.8 30.2 29.1 27.6 26.8 25.4 24.6 31.0 30.1 27.6 27.0 31.4 29.9 28.7 27.6
Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander — — 0.0 0.0 — — 0.0 0.0 — — 0.0 0.0 — — 0.0 0.0
Hispanic 31.5 32.4 33.5 33.8 35.1 35.9 35.3 37.6 32.9 33.3 34.3 35.7 32.4 33.8 34.1 35.0
White 32.0 32.5 32.7 33.0 33.3 33.0 34.4 33.3 31.6 32.7 33.7 32.7 32.8 32.7 33.1 33.3
Two or more races 1.8 1.8 2.4 2.8 2.4 2.8 3.3 3.0 2.2 1.8 2.6 3.0 1.9 2.4 2.7 2.8
Unknown 1.5 1.0 0.7 0.6 1.1 0.7 0.9 0.9 2.0 1.4 1.0 0.9 1.0 0.7 0.7 0.7
Total % 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Number 15,818 15,582 16,303 17,914 7,025 8,938 9,869 10,680 7,665 8,200 7,989 8,858 15,182 16,326 18,190 19,739

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 6,389 6,616 7,200 7,931
Children whose parents' rights have been terminated (TPR) 4,467 5,067 5,483 6,104
Age of Waiting Children (%) 1998 1999 2000 2001
Under 1 year 3.5 4.3 4.6 5.0
1-5 years 32.0 29.7 30.5 31.2
6-10 years 34.3 33.2 31.3 29.2
11-15 years 26.8 29.1 29.4 30.3
16+ years 3.2 3.8 4.2 4.3
Unknown 0.1 — 0.0 —
Total % 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Number 6,389 6,616 7,200 7,931
Race/Ethnicity of Waiting Children (%) 1998 1999 2000 2001
Alaska Native/American Indian 0.3 0.4 0.2 0.3
Asian — — 0.2 0.2
Asian/Pacific Islander 0.0 0.2 — —
Black 33.4 32.6 31.0 30.9
Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander — — — —
Hispanic 32.4 32.8 34.0 33.3
White 30.4 30.4 30.8 31.3
Two or more races 2.2 2.7 2.9 3.2
Unknown 1.2 0.9 0.8 0.7
Total % 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Number 6,389 6,616 7,200 7,931

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 2.8 3.0 3.2 3.8
1-5 years 51.7 49.2 52.6 54.6
6-10 years 33.3 32.1 30.1 28.8
11-15 years 11.4 14.5 12.7 11.6
16+ years 0.8 1.2 1.3 1.1
Unknown — — — —
Total % 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Number 1,602 2,063 2,040 2,318
Race/Ethnicity of Adopted Children (%) 1998 1999 2000 2001
Alaska Native/American Indian 0.2 0.2 0.5 0.2
Asian — — 0.1 0.1
Asian/Pacific Islander 0.3 0.2 — —
Black 34.0 30.0 25.8 23.7
Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander — — — 0.0
Hispanic 31.0 35.6 37.1 38.5
White 29.0 30.3 31.5 32.1
Two or more races — — 3.3 4.4
Unknown 5.5 3.7 1.6 0.9
Total % 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Number 1,602 2,063 2,040 2,318

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Texas [ 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 96.3 95.7 95.8 95.8
Children with one or more recurrences 3.7 4.3 4.2 4.2
Total % 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Number 20,794 20,929 22,290 22,414

Bar chart describing Percentage of Children With One or More Recurrences of Maltreatment within 6 months data from Table 1.1 above.

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 0.30 0.28 0.30 0.30
Children not maltreated while in foster care 99.70 99.72 99.70 99.70
Total % 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00
Number 19,915 22,623 24,147 26,378

Bar chart describing Percentage of Children Maltreated While in Foster Care data from Table 2.1 above.

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

3.1 Exits from Foster Care (%) 1998 1999 2000 2001
Adoption 22.9 27.0 25.5 25.8
Guardianship — — — —
Reunification 51.8 48.0 51.3 51.1
Other 8.8 8.5 6.2 4.3
Missing data 16.5 16.5 16.8 18.8
Total % 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Number 7,665 8,200 7,989 8,858

Pie Charts describing data from Table 3.1 above.

3.2 Exits of Disabled Children (%) 1998 1999 2000 2001
Adoption 22.9 31.4 32.0 33.2
Guardianship — — — —
Reunification 52.1 40.7 40.2 40.1
Other 11.0 12.8 9.7 7.0
Missing data 14.0 15.2 18.1 19.7
Total % 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Number 1,504 1,936 2,107 2,326
3.3 Exits of Children Over Age 12 at Entry (%) 1998 1999 2000 2001
Adoption 0.4 1.3 2.0 1.1
Guardianship — — — —
Reunification 30.1 28.8 34.0 31.2
Other 23.4 20.9 17.6 12.9
Missing data 46.1 49.0 46.5 54.8
Total % 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Number 1,570 1,489 1,427 1,507
3.4 Exits to Emancipation (%) 1998 1999 2000 2001
Children age 12 or younger at entry 48.7 56.4 52.9 50.2
Children older than 12 at entry 51.3 43.6 47.1 49.8
Missing data — — — —
Total % 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Number 556 569 365 259
3.5 Exits by Race/Ethnicity (%)
blank cell 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 16.0 13.8 37.9 14.8 — — 9.1 8.8 8.3 4.0 — — 23.5 24.5 23.5 22.7 — — — 100.0
Guardianship — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Reunification 52.0 48.3 48.3 63.0 — — 84.8 76.5 50.0 92.0 — — 49.0 49.5 49.9 50.1 — — 100.0 —
Other 4.0 20.7 3.4 7.4 — — — — 8.3 — — — 8.6 7.9 6.4 5.2 — — — —
Missing data 28.0 17.2 10.3 14.8 — — 6.1 14.7 33.3 4.0 — — 18.9 18.1 20.3 22.0 — — — —
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
Number 25 29 29 27 — — 33 34 12 25 — — 2,373 2,470 2,202 2,395 — — 2 1
blank cell 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 22.6 30.4 27.8 28.0 22.0 25.6 24.5 25.1 33.8 43.2 35.3 28.8 26.14 27.7 29.9 37.1 11.8 14.3 — —
Guardianship — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Reunification 52.9 45.6 5.4 49.2 53.4 48.8 53.9 53.7 45.1 38.9 35.3 50.7 61.2 57.4 55.0 50.2 29.4 9.5 — —
Other 7.5 8.1 5.5 3.9 10.9 10.0 7.1 4.3 5.3 5.3 2.9 1.4 2.4 3.4 2.4 2.6 — — — —
Missing data 17.0 15.9 16.3 18.9 13.7 15.7 14.5 16.9 15.8 12.6 26.5 19.2 10.3 11.5 12.8 10.1 58.8 76.2 100.0 100.0
Total % 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Number 2,521 2,730 2,740 3,158 2,419 2,682 2,694 2,900 133 95 68 73 165 148 211 267 17 21 10 3

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. 50.8 60.6 64.4 60.7
At least 12 mos., but less than 24 mos. 27.4 25.1 26.7 31.3
At least 24 mos., but less than 36 mos. 8.7 5.6 3.4 3.2
At least 36 mos., but less than 48 mos. 4.8 3.3 1.1 1.1
48 or more mos. 8.0 5.3 4.3 3.4
Missing data 0.3 0.1 0.1 0.2
Total (%) 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Number 3,972 3,938 4,115 4,524

Bar chart describing reunification percentages data in Table 4.1 above.

4.2 Children Who Entered Foster Care (%) 1998 1999 2000 2001
Children entering care for the first time 96.7 96.4 95.9 92.1
Children re-entering care within 12 mos. of a prior episode 1.3 1.3 1.5 2.7
Children re-entering care more than 12 mos. after a prior episode 0.6 1.1 1.5 2.0
Missing data 1.4 1.2 1.0 3.2
Total (%) 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Number 7,025 8,938 9,869 10,680

Bar chart describing re-entries into Foster Care within 12 months from data in Table 4.2 above.

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. 5.5 7.1 7.9 9.1
At least 12 mos., but less than 24 mos. 22.7 29.2 36.0 42.2
At least 24 mos., but less than 36 mos. 21.4 20.8 23.3 23.2
At least 36 mos., but less than 48 mos. 19.1 16.0 13.2 10.1
48 or more mos. 31.3 26.9 19.7 15.3
Missing data — — — —
Total (%) 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Number 1,754 2,211 2,038 2,285

Bar Chart describing Percentage of Adoptions Occurring in Less Than 24 or greater than 48 Months of Entry data from Table 5.1 above

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
2001		 74.3
73.3
71.2
71.0		 25.7
26.7
28.8
28.7		 0.0
0.0
—
0.4		 100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0		 8,521
10,684
11,845
12,887
At least 12 mos., but <24 mos. 1998
1999
2000
2001		 44.4
42.7
44.5
42.3		 55.6
57.3
55.5
57.7		 —
—
—
0.0		 100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0		 4,657
4,593
5,805
6,759
At least 24 mos., but <36 mos. 1998
1999
2000
2001		 30.6
27.2
23.1
25.1		 69.4
72.8
76.9
74.9		 —
—
—
—		 100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0		 2,445
2,491
2,336
2,839
At least 36 mos., but <48 mos. 1998
1999
2000
2001		 23.0
22.4
18.7
13.3		 77.0
77.6
81.3
86.7		 —
—
—
—		 100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0		 1,790
1,537
1,505
1,485
48 or more mos. 1998
1999
2000
2001		 11.5
10.6
9.6
8.4		 88.5
89.4
90.4
91.6		 —
—
—
—		 100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0		 5,370
5,175
4,644
4,589
Missing data 1998
1999
2000
2001		 68.3
77.5
62.2
37.1		 31.7
22.5
37.8
60.0		 —
—
—
2.9		 100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0		 60
40
37
35

Bar chart describing foster care placements over time percentages data from Table 6.1 above.

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 2.2 3.0 3.5 3.5
Institutions 9.7 9.0 9.1 8.6
Other settings 83.4 83.8 84.0 85.2
Missing data 4.8 4.1 3.4 2.7
Total (%) 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0
Number 5,474 7,122 8,008 8,521

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Texas [ State Comment ]

Rose Benham, MSSW, Director
Child Protective Services
Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services
512-438-4778

Texas' comments on State data presented in Child Welfare Outcomes 2001: Report to Congress are the following:

The numbers in each table appear to be accurate with the exception of item B. (NCANDS), Age of Child Victims for 2000, which shows 10.8% Unknown. This is an aberrant percentage compared with 98', 99' and 2001 (0 - 0.1%). The 2000 file that we submitted contained 656 records out of 171,641 with no valid age. The file used by NCANDS for publication has 22,538 out of 171,641. We also looked at 2001 data and the accepted file has 754 out of 197,274. The only thing we can say in response is that the data published for 2000 do not match the information that the state submitted.

The data for outcome measure 3.1, 3.2, and 3.3 indicate a substantial percentage of missing data with respect to "reason for discharge" information reported to AFCARS. Our response to this issue is that a very high number of children aging out of care during these years is missing a "reason for discharge". This field is not required in CAPs, but will be required in IMPACT beginning 9/1/2003. A significant proportion of the missing data would be present if the field could be mapped to a default AFCARS code, but we have been advised against this by the Children's Bureau.

The data for outcome measure 3.4 indicate that 50.2 percent of children emancipated from foster care in FY 2001 were age 12 or younger at the time of entry into foster care. The national median for this measure is 28 percent. Our response is as follows: the data in 3.4 cannot be considered reliable due to the problem identified in the response to 3.1, 3.2, and 3.3 above. The high number of cases without a reason for discharge renders the percentage unreliable. However, this data problem will resolve itself when Reason for Discharge becomes a required data entry field in September 2003.

Finally, with regard to the Outcomes Data for Texas, we would prefer that the first two rows under 2.1 Maltreatment in Foster Care be reversed. Currently, the order of these rows is as follows: "Children Maltreated while in foster care" is the first row, and "Children not maltreated while in foster care" is the second row. We are requesting that the order be as follows: "Children not maltreated while in foster care" as the first row, and "Children maltreated while in foster care" be the second row. This would provide parallel construction with the rows under 1.1 Recurrence of Maltreatment Within 6 Months.

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Texas [ Federal Comment ]

The following discussion focuses on Texas' performance with regard to each of the outcomes assessed in the Child Welfare Outcomes Annual Reports to Congress. The Texas Child and Family Services Review (CFSR) was completed in fiscal year (FY) 2002, and compliance with the national standards was based on data from 2000. The final report for that review is available from Reports and Results of the Child and Family Service Reviews (CFSRs) . A discussion of the implications of CFSR findings for Texas' 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 maltreatment recurrence within 6 months was 4.2 percent, which is lower than both the national standard of 6.1 percent or less and the national median of 8.0 percent. Texas' performance on this measure did not change substantively from 1999 to 2001.

Outcome 2. Reduce incidence of maltreatment in foster care
In CY 2001, the incidence of maltreatment in foster care was 0.3 percent, which is lower than both the national standard of 0.57 percent or less and the national median of 0.47 percent. Texas' performance on this measure declined slightly from 1999 to 2001 (+6.2 percent change).

Outcome 3. Increase permanency for children in foster care
In FY 2001, 76.9 percent of children exiting foster care were discharged to permanent homes, which is less than the national median of 84.7 percent. However, it is not possible to assess State performance on this outcome because "reason for discharge" information was not provided to the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) for 18.8 percent of the children exiting foster care during FY 2001. In addition, discharge reasons were not provided for 19.7 percent of the children with a diagnosed disability who exited from foster care, or for 54.8 percent of children who exited from foster care who were older than age 12 at the time of entry into foster care. The State's comment letter notes that many of the children with a missing "reason for discharge" were discharged to emancipation.

Outcome 4. Reduce time to reunification without increasing re-entry
In FY 2001, the percentage of all reunifications occurring within 12 months of a child's entry into foster care was 60.7, which is lower than both the national standard of 76.2 percent or more and the national median of 69.2 percent. According to information provided in the CFSR Final Report, the State believes that performance on this measure is due to the agency's practice of maintaining legal custody of a child for 3 to 6 months after physical reunification to continue monitoring the family and to support children's safety. There was no substantive change overall from FY 1999 to FY 2001.

The State's performance with regard to reunification within 12 months must be balanced 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 2.7, which is considerably lower than both the national standard of 8.6 percent or less and the national median of 10.4 percent. Despite very good performance on this measure, there was a decline from FY 1999 to FY 2001 (+105.6 percent change).

Outcome 5. Reduce time in foster care to adoption
In FY 2001, the percentage of all finalized adoptions occurring within 24 months of a child's entry into foster care was 51.3, which is higher than the national standard of 32.0 percent or more and the national median of 21.0 percent. Texas' performance on this measure exhibited continuous improvement from FY 1999 to FY 2001 (+41.3 percent change).

Outcome 6. Increase placement stability
In FY 2001, the percentage of children in foster care for less than 12 months who experienced no more than 2 placements was 71.0, which is lower than the national standard of 86.7 percent or more and the national median of 83.3 percent. There was no substantive change in performance on this measure from FY 1999 to FY 2001.

Outcome 7. Reduce placements of young children in group homes and institutions
In FY 2001, the percentage of children age 12 or younger placed in a group home or institution was 12.1, which is higher than the national median of 8.7. There was no substantive change in performance on this measure from FY 1999 to FY 2001.

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