Chapter V Sumamry: State Performance on the Seven National Child Welfare Outcomes
This chapter provides a summary of the findings reported in chapters II, III, and IV, and a discussion of the implications of the findings for understanding State performance with regard to keeping children safe, achieving permanency for children, and ensuring that children are in stable and age-appropriate out-of-home placements. When relevant, the discussion incorporates information from the findings of the Child and Family Services Review (CFSR). A report detailing the CFSR findings is available on the Children’s Bureau’s Web site.
An overview of national performance on the Report to Congress outcome measures is provided in table V-1 on the following page. National performance was calculated by summing across States that reported data for each measure. For example, for outcome measure 1.1, the total number of children across all States who were victims of substantiated or indicated child abuse or neglect in the first 6 months of the target year was the denominator, and the total number of children across all States who had another substantiated or indicated report within a 6-month period was the numerator. These data differ from data in the tables in prior chapters that provide the means and the medians of State performance for each outcome measure.
Keeping Children Safe
Outcome 1—Reduce recurrence of child abuse and neglect
Although keeping children safe from further maltreatment is the most important role of the nation’s child welfare system, the findings reported in chapter II suggest that many States continue to experience challenges in their efforts to reduce the recurrence of child abuse and/or neglect (outcome 1). In FY 2002, only 38 percent of the 42 States that reported data met the national standard for the measure of maltreatment recurrence of 6.1 percent or less; in almost one-fifth of the States, the percentage of maltreatment recurrence within 6 months was greater than 10.0.
However, the findings reported in chapter II indicate that understanding a State’s performance on the measure of maltreatment recurrence requires an examination of the State’s context variables. For example, in FY 2002, States with a relatively high rate of child victims (number of child victims per 1,000 children in the State population) tended to have a relatively high percentage of maltreatment recurrence within a 6-month period. This suggests that State differences in definitions of child maltreatment and criteria for substantiation may be associated with differences in State performance on the measure of maltreatment recurrence. In addition, States with a relatively high percentage of child victims experiencing sexual abuse tended to have a relatively low percentage of maltreatment recurrence within 6 months. Thus, State differences in the types of maltreatment experienced by child victims may impact State performance on the outcome measure assessing maltreatment recurrence.
Table V-1. National performance on child welfare outcome measures for all States reporting in fiscal years (FY)1999, 2000, 2001, and 2002 (N = number of States reporting). *
| Year** | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outcome Measure | FY 1999 | FY 2000 | FY 2001 | FY 2002 | National Standard |
| 1.1 Percent of children who were victims of substantiated or indicated child abuse and/or neglect during the first 6 months of reporting period who had another substantiated or indicated report within a 6-month period. | 8.5% (N = 29) | 8.6% (N = 34) | 8.9% (N = 40) | 8.8% (N = 42) | 6.1% or less |
| 2.1 Percent of children in foster care who were the subject of substantiated or indicated maltreatment by a foster parent or facility staff member. | 0.77% (N = 21) | 0.62% (N = 31) | 0.50% (N = 38) | 0.50% (N = 42) | 0.57% or less |
| 3.1 Percent of children exiting foster care who exited to a permanent home(adoption, legal, guardianship, or reunification.) | 82.6% (N = 51) | 83.9% (N = 51) | 84.4% (N = 52) | 85.2% (N = 52) | NA*** |
| 3.2 Percent of children exiting foster care who had a diagnosed disability who exited to a permanent home (adoption, guardianship, or reunification). | 75.8% (N = 47) | 78.1% (N = 51) | 84.4% (N = 52) | 85.2% (N = 52) | NA*** |
| 3.3 Percent of children exiting foster care who were older than 12 at the time of entry into foster car who exited to a permanent home(adoption, guardianship, or reunification). | 67.0% (N = 51) | 67.3% (N = 51) | 67.6% (N = 52) | 69.4% (N = 52) | NA*** |
| 3.4 Percent of children exiting foster care to emancipation who were age 12 or younger at the time of entry into foster car. | 31.9% (N = 50) | 32.0% (N = 51) | 32.2% (N = 51) | 33.7% (N = 52) | NA*** |
| 4.1 Percent of children reunified with their parents or caretakers at the time of discharge from foster care who were reunified within 12 months from the time of entry into foster care. | 64.6% (N = 50) | 64.9% (N = 51) | 65.7% (N = 52) | 67.2% (N = 52) | 76.2% or more |
| 4.2Percent of children entering foster car who were re-entering care within 12 months of discharge from a prior foster care episode. | 82.6% (N = 51) | 83.9% (N = 51) | 84.4% (N = 52) | 85.2% (N = 52) | 8.6% or less |
| 5.1Percent of children in foster care for less than 12 months who experienced two or fewer placements. | 20.8% (N = 48) | 20.0% (N = 50) | 22.3% (N = 52) | 23.9% (N = 52) | 32.0% or more |
| 6.1 Percent of children in foster care for less than 12 months who experienced two or fewer placements. | 77.5% (N = 51) | 81.9% (N = 51) | 82.7% (N = 52) | 82.9% (N = 52) | 86.7% or more |
| 7.1Percent of children age 12 or younger at the time of their most recent placement who were place in a group home or institution. | 11.3% (N = 51) | 9.8% (N = 51) | 10.4% (N = 52) | 11.2% (N = 52) | NA*** |
*States were excluded if they did not provide data for the measure. Back
**Measure 1.1 is based on a calendar year, measure 2.1 is based on the first 9 months of a calendar year, and all other measures are based on the Federal fiscal year. Back
***Not Applicable(NA) means that national standard was not established for the measure. Back
Findings from the CFSR also indicate that keeping children safe is a challenge for many States. Only 6 of the 52 States achieved substantial conformity with either of the two CFSR Safety Outcomes. The CFSR identified the following as potential barriers to keeping children safe:
- Agency risk and safety assessments often are not sufficiently comprehensive to capture underlying family issues that contribute to maltreatment, such as substance abuse, mental illness, and domestic violence (22 States).
- The child welfare agency is not consistent in providing sufficient services to address risk of harm to children, particularly in cases in which children remain in their homes (22 States).
- The child welfare agency does not consistently monitor families to assess service participation and change in risk factors (20 States).
Another CFSR finding suggests that for some States, interpreting performance on the outcome measure pertaining to maltreatment recurrence is problematic. The CFSR indicated that in 16 States, either by practice or by policy, new maltreatment allegations on open child welfare cases often are addressed by the ongoing caseworker and do not go through the formal State or local reporting and investigation or assessment process. Consequently, these allegations are not reported to NCANDS and are not subject to an assessment of substantiation. This practice was found in 5 of the 16 States that met the national standard for maltreatment recurrence in 2002.
Outcome 2—Reduce the incidence of child abuse and/or neglect in foster care
As reported in chapter III, many States are experiencing success in ensuring that children in foster care are not maltreated by a foster parent or facility staff member. Almost 60 percent of the States met the national standard (0.57 percent or less) for this measure in 2002 and the national median is actually lower than the national standard. The data presented in chapter II, as well as the national data presented in table V-1, demonstrate considerable improvements in performance on this measure from 1999 to 2002.
Information from the CFSR suggests that State performance in ensuring that children do not experience maltreatment in foster care may be attributed to the following factors:
- The State establishes and adheres to standards regarding licensing requirements for foster homes and care facilities, including standards that prevent overcrowding in foster homes and standards regarding use of restraints and corporal punishment (51 States).
- The State mandates training for foster parents and facility staff both before licensure and on an ongoing basis (38 States).
Achieving Permancy For Children In Foster Care
Outcome 3—Increase permanency for children in foster care
The findings reported in chapter III indicate that most States are successful in achieving permanency for children exiting foster care. In FY 2002, the median percentage across States of children discharged to a permanent home was 86.1. In addition, the national percentage of children exiting foster care to a permanent home, as shown in table V-1, has increased steadily from FY 1999 to FY 2002.
Although States are successful in achieving permanency for the majority of children exiting foster care, the findings reported in chapter III indicate that the level of success declines when specific subpopulations are considered. For example, States are less successful in achieving permanency for (1) children exiting foster care who have a diagnosed disability, and (2) children exiting foster care who were age 13 or older when they entered foster care. In addition, in 35 States, children exiting foster care who had a diagnosed disability were more likely to exit to a permanent home than were children exiting foster care who were age 13 or older when they entered care. These findings also are reflected in table V-1. As shown in this table, nationally, 85.2 percent of all children exiting foster care in FY 2002 were discharged to a permanent home, compared to 79.6 percent of children with a diagnosed disability, and 69.4 percent of children who were age 13 and older when they entered foster care.
Despite the general success of States in achieving permanency for children exiting foster care, the findings reported in chapter III suggest that a substantial percentage of children who exited foster care to emancipation in FY 2002 grew up in foster care—i.e., they were age 12 or younger when they entered foster care. In addition, the national data presented in table V-1 indicate that more than one-third of the children emancipated from foster care were age 12 or younger when they entered foster care. However, the data reported in chapter III also suggest that many States are improving performance in this area.
Although the CFSR report does not address all of the permanency issues addressed under outcome 3 of the Report to Congress, information from the report does support the finding that achieving permanency for children who are age 13 or older when they enter foster care is a challenge for many States. According to CFSR case-level data analyses, only 54 percent of the children who were age 13 or older had case goals of reunification, guardianship, or adoption. The remaining 46 percent of the children had case goals of emancipation/independent living or long-term foster care leading to eventual emancipation.
The CFSR report identified the following potential barriers to achieving permanency for older children entering foster care:- When older children cannot be reunified, a case goal of long-term foster care often is established without a thorough consideration of permanency options such as guardianship or adoption (15 States).
- The goal of reunification often is maintained for long periods of time even when it is apparent that reunification will not be possible (24 States).
Outcome 4—Reduce time in foster care without increasing re-entry
The findings reported in chapter III suggest that interpreting State performance with regard to the two measures (time in foster care to reunification, and the percentage of children entering foster who were reentering) included in outcome 4 is a complex undertaking. One area of complexity is that information regarding timely reunification must be considered in conjunction with information about re-entry. The general finding in FY 2002 (as in all prior years) is that States with a relatively high percentage of reunifications within 12 months tend to have a relatively high percentage of re-entries into foster care within 12 months; 9 States were in the top quartile (comprised of 12 States) ranking for both measures. In FY 2002, only 1 State met the national standard for reunification within 12 months and the national standard for re-entry within 12 months of a prior foster care episode. This relationship raises the possibility that some reunifications may be occurring too soon—i.e., before the conditions that resulted in the removal of the child from the home in the first place are adequately addressed.
Other findings reported in chapter III suggest that an understanding of State performance with regard to timely reunification requires an understanding of various aspects of the State context. For example, a substantial relationship was found between the rate of entry of children into foster care (i.e., the number of children entering foster care per 1,000 children in the population) and the percentage of children reunified within 12 months of entry into foster care. States with a relatively high rate of entry into foster care tended to have a relatively high percentage of children reunified within 12 months. Seven States were in the top quartile ranking (comprised of 12 States) for both measures. This association may be attributed to the possibility that States with a high rate of entry into foster care may be more likely than other States to remove children from the home on a short-term basis, either to assess the family situation or to address a current crisis situation. As a result, such States would be more likely to reunify a larger percentage of children within a short time frame than States that do not engage in this practice.
Another finding suggests that understanding State performance with regard to re-entries into foster care also requires attention to the ages of children entering foster care in the State. A substantial, positive correlation was found between the percentage of children entering foster care in FY 2002 who were age 16 and older, and the percentage of children entering foster care who were re-entering within 12 months of a prior episode. In general, States with a relatively high percentage of children entering foster care in FY 2002 who were 16 and older tended to have a relatively high percentage of children entering foster care who were re-entering within 12 months of a prior episode; 8 States were in the top quartile for both measures. An interesting finding is that most of the States that had both a high percentage of children entering foster at age 16 and older and a high percentage of children re-entering foster care within 12 months of a prior episode were those that provide child welfare placement services to children in the juvenile justice system or to children who enter foster care as a result of behavior problems. This suggests that State policies with regard to the types of children served by the child welfare foster care system may impact performance on the outcome measure pertaining to foster care re-entry.
The CFSR report suggests that one key barrier to achieving reunification in a timely manner may be a lack of adequate and/or timely services to parents (18 States). In addition, a key barrier to preventing re-entry may be the lack of sufficient or adequate post-reunification services to assist the family in the reintegration process (13 States). Both of these findings suggest that service availability is critical to ensuring both timely reunification and the prevention of re-entry.
Outcome 5—Reduce time in foster care to adoption
The findings reported in chapter III indicate that States continue to experience challenges with regard to achieving adoptions in a timely manner. Only 29 percent of the States met the national standard for this measure. However, 72 percent of the States improved in performance on this measure from 1999 to 2002, although only 1 State went from not meeting the national standard in FY 1999 to meeting the standard in FY 2002. In addition, national data provided in table V-1 indicate an improvement in performance on this measure from 1999 to 2002 (+14.9 percent change).
Again, State performance on this outcome was found to be associated with a context variable. States with a relatively high percentage of Black children in their foster care populations tended to have a relatively low percentage of adoptions finalized within 24 months of entry into foster care.
Information in the CFSR report supports the Report to Congress finding that achieving adoptions in a timely manner is challenging for many States. The following barriers to achieving adoption in a timely manner were identified through the CFSR:
- The agency or court is inconsistent with regard to seeking termination of parental rights (TPR) in accordance with the provisions of the Adoption and Safe Families Act (26 States).
- Many judges are reluctant to terminate parental rights because adequate services have not been provided to parents or because an adoptive family has not been identified (19 States).
- There are delays in attaining TPR because of crowded court dockets and/or a lengthy appeals process (20 States).
- The agency is not consistent with regard to conducting adoption home studies or completing adoption paperwork in a timely manner (17 States).
Achieving Stable And Age-Appropriate Placements
Outcome 6—Increase placement stability
A key finding with regard to placement stability is that the majority of children in foster care for less than 12 months experience no more than 2 placement settings. The median for State performance on this measure was 84.2 percent. However, only 27 percent of the States met the national standard of 86.7 percent or more for this measure in FY 2002, which represents a decline in performance from FY 1999 (-27 percent change). Despite these findings, it is important to note that because the standard is so high and because performance on this measure is high in general, a slight change in numbers can result in a shift to either meeting the standard or no longer meeting the standard. For the most part, more than 60 percent of the States exhibited no real change in performance (i.e., less than plus or minus 5.0 percent change) on this measure from 1999 to 2002. In addition, State variation with regard to context variables was not associated with State variation with regard to placement stability within 12 months.
Another key finding with regard to placement stability is that it declines considerably the longer the child is in placement. The median across States for the percentage of children in foster care for more than 48 months who experienced no more than 2 placement settings was 27.2 percent, almost 60 percent less than the median for children in foster care for less than 12 months.
The CFSR report identifies the following as common barriers with regard to achieving placement stability:- The child welfare agency does not provide sufficient services to foster parents to prevent placement disruptions (21 States).
- Because of a lack of available placements, placement decisions tend to be based on what is available rather than on what is appropriate for the child (21 States).
- Emergency shelters frequently are used for initial placements and as temporary placements after a disruption occurs (18 States).
- There is a scarcity of appropriate placement options for children with developmental disabilities or behavioral problems (19 States).
Reducing placements of young children in group homes or institutions
Although placement of young children in group homes or institutions is a relatively rare event, the findings in chapter IV indicate that in 8 States, more than 20 percent of the children age 12 or younger entering foster care in FY 2002 were placed in group homes or institutions.
Summary Of Findings
The results of the analyses of State performance on the Report to Congress outcomes suggest that many States are moving in the direction of improved performance, particularly with regard to reducing maltreatment of children in foster care by foster parents or facility staff members, achieving permanency for children in foster care, and ensuring placement stability for children during the first 12 months that they are in foster care. However, as in prior years, the analyses for FY 2002 indicate that many States continue to experience challenges in reducing the incidence of maltreatment recurrence. In addition, some States continue to experience challenges in finding permanent homes for children who have a diagnosed disability and children who enter foster care when they are older.
The results also indicate that although many States experience success in reunifying children in a timely manner, this success is tempered by the consistent finding of a positive correlation between the percentage of reunifications within 12 months and the percentage of children entering foster care who were re-entering within 12 months of a prior episode. In addition, although there was an increase in the number of States exhibiting improvements with regard to achieving adoptions within 24 months of a child’s entry into foster care, States continue to experience challenges in this area. CFSR findings suggest that efforts to achieve timely adoptions are often impeded by the reluctance on the part of some judges and agency staff to seek termination of parental rights (TPR), and the lengthy legal procedures often required to achieve a final TPR.
Finally, the findings suggest that an interpretation of performance of individual States on the outcomes must take into account the context variables relevant to that State. The following associations were found between context variables and performance on outcome measures for FY 2002 data:
- States with a relatively high rate of child victims per 1,000 children in the population tended to have a relatively high percentage of maltreatment recurrence within a 6-month time period.
- States with a relatively high percentage of child victims experiencing sexual abuse tended to have a relatively low percentage of maltreatment recurrence within a 6-month time period.
- States with a relatively high percentage of children entering foster care who were age 16 and older tended to have a relatively high percentage of children entering foster care who were re-entering within 12 months of a prior episode.
- States with a relatively high rate of entry of children into foster care tended to have a relatively high percentage of reunifications occurring within 12 months of entry into foster care.
The following chapter provides the data for each State relevant to the key context variables and the seven national outcomes. An important implication of the data analysis is that an understanding of State performance on a given measure requires an assessment of the context variables associated with performance on the measure. Consequently, relevant information pertaining to the context variables has been incorporated into the Federal Comment pages analyzing each State’s performance on the national outcomes.
