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Home > Statistics & Research > Child Welfare Outcomes 2002 > Chapter Six > Alabama

Alabama

Context Data | Outcomes Data | State Comment | Federal Comment

Alabama [ Context Data ]

A. Key Context Statistics

General Population (Census Bureau) 1999 2000 2001 2002 Total children under 18 years 1,066,177 1,110,820 1,112,966 1,107,108 Race/ethnicity (%)1, 2         Alaska Native/American Indian 0.3 0.5 0.5 0.5 Asian N/A 0.7 0.7 0.7 Asian/Pacific Islander 0.8 N/A N/A N/A Black 32.2 31.8 31.8 31.9 Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander N/A N/A 0 0 Hispanic 1.5 2.2 2.4 2.5 White 65.3 63.3 63.3 63.1 Two or more races N/A 1.3 1.3 1.3 Other N/A 0.1 0 0 % Child population in poverty 24 19.2 23.2 19.3 Child Welfare Summary 1999 2000 2002 2002 Child maltreatment victims3 13,773 9,990 9,229 9,903 Children in foster care on 9/30 5,511 5,621 5,859 5,875 Children adopted 153 202 238 249

1The convention for the data tables is the following: N/A in the data table means that the category was not applicable for the specific year. A dash (-) means that there is "no value" or the category is a true zero (that is, no children were reported as being in that category). A zero (0) means that there is a value for the category, but the value is less than 0.1 percent.Back

2The multiple and overlapping race categories in this and subsequent race tables are due to changes in the Census Bureau categories beginning in 2000. Because the reporting of these categories is a relatively new process for States, changes in percentages over time may be due to data quality issues.Back

3A child victim is a child who is the subject of a substantiated or indicated maltreatment report. Children with more than one report of substantiated or indicated maltreatment may be counted more than once.Back

B. Child Maltreatment Data (NCANDS)

Number Rate Maltreatment Information Overview 1999 2000 2001 2002 1999 2000 2001 2002 Children subject of an investigated report alleging child maltreatment 35,919 32,655 29,911 32,682 33.7 per 1,000 29.4 per 1,000 26.9 per 1,000 29.5 per 1,000 Child maltreatment victims 13,773 9,990 9,229 9,903 12.9 per 1,000 9.0 per 1,000 8.3 per 1,000 8.9 per 1,000 Child fatalities 29 27 24 29 2.7 per 100,000 2.4 per 100,000 2.2 per 100,000 2.6 per 100,000

Age of Child Victims (%) 1999 2000 2001 2002 Under 1 Year 7.7 8.6 8.5 7.5 1-5 years 27.2 27.4 28 26.4 6-10 years 29.3 27.9 27.7 25.4 11-15 years 28.1 28.9 28.2 28.3 16+ years 5.1 5.2 5 5.7 Unknown / Missing data 2.5 1.9 2.6 6.6 Total % 100 100 100 100 Number 13,773 9,990 9,229 9,903 Race/Ethnicity of Child Victims (%) 1999 2000 2001 2002 Alaska Native/American Indian 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.1 Asian/Pacific Islander 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.3 Black 38 38.5 33.5 30.3 Hispanic 1 0.9 1.3 2.1 White 60 59.7 62.5 54.5 Two or more races 1 -- -- -- Unknown / Missing data 0.7 0.6 2.3 12.7 Total %4 101 100 100 100 Number 13,773 9,990 9,229 9,903 Maltreatment Type of Child Victims (%) 1999 2000 2001 2002 Emotional Abuse 4.9 3.7 3.4 2.3 Medical Neglect 0 -- -- -- Neglect 46 43.8 44.5 42 Physical Abuse 40.9 40.4 44.4 45.6 Sexual Abuse 23.1 26.5 21.1 23.8 Unknown / Missing data 0 -- -- -- Other 0 -- -- -- Total %5 114.9 114.4 113.4 113.7 Number 13,773 9,990 9,229 9,903

4Percentages may total more than 100 percent because Hispanics may be counted both by Hispanic ethnicity and by race.Back

5Percentages 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 FY1999 (10/1/98 - 9/30/99) 4,839 2,734 2,062 5,511 7,573 FY2000 (10/1/99 - 9/30/00) 5,294 2,661 2,334 5,621 7,955 FY2001 (10/1/00 - 9/30/01) 5,458 2,672 2,271 5,859 8,130 FY2002 (10/1/01 - 9/30/02) 5,448 3,117 2,690 5,875 8,565 Median Length of Stay (Months)   FY1999 (10/1/98 - 9/30/99) 22 N/A 8.8 21.5 N/A FY2000 (10/1/99 - 9/30/00) 21.8 N/A 11.1 22 N/A FY2001 (10/1/00 - 9/30/01) 21.8 N/A 12.4 21.5 N/A FY2002 (10/1/01 - 9/30/02) 20.8 N/A 11.1 19.1 N/A Age of Children in Foster Care (%) In Care On: 10/1/98 In Care On: 10/1/99 In Care On: 10/1/00 In Care On: 10/1/01 Entered Care During FY: 1999 Entered Care During FY: 2000 Entered Care During FY: 2001 Entered Care During FY: 2002 Exited Care During FY: 1999 Exited Care During FY: 2000 Exited Care During FY:2001 Exited Care During FY: 2002 In Care On: 9/30/99 In Care On: 9/30/00 In Care On: 9/30/01 In Care On: 9/30/02 Under 1 Year 4 3.8 4.1 3.7 14.3 15.4 15.4 14.9 5.1 5.7 5.3 6.2 4 4.3 3.9 4.1 1-5 years 22.6 23.3 22.2 21.9 25.2 24.2 26.6 26.4 25.4 25.7 27.9 30.1 23.5 22.8 23 21.2 6-10 years 25 24.6 23.8 22.7 21.5 22.8 21.5 23 20.5 22 19.9 22 24.4 23.9 23 21.7 11-15 years 30.2 29.8 31.5 31.4 28.7 29.5 27.7 27.2 24.5 23.5 22.8 22 29.7 30.8 31 31.7 16-18 years 16 16.2 16.3 17.8 9.9 7.9 8.5 8.5 19.3 17 17.9 14.6 16 16.1 16.9 18.5 19+ years 2.2 2.3 2.1 2.4 0.3 0.1 0.2 -- 4.9 5 5.4 4.4 2.3 2.1 2.2 2.7 Unknown / Missing data 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.4 1.1 0.8 0.7 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 Total % 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 Number 4,839 5,294 5,458 5,448 2,734 2,661 2,672 3,117 2,062 2,334 2,271 2,690 5,511 5,621 5,859 5,875 Race/Ethnicity of Children in Foster Care (%) In Care On: 10/1/98 In Care On: 10/1/99 In Care On: 10/1/00 In Care On: 10/1/01 Entered Care During FY: 1999 Entered Care During FY: 2000 Entered Care During FY: 2001 Entered Care During FY: 2002 Exited Care During FY: 1999 Exited Care During FY: 2000 Exited Care During FY:2001 Exited Care During FY: 2002 In Care On: 9/30/99 In Care On: 9/30/00 In Care On: 9/30/01 In Care On: 9/30/02 Alaska Native/American Indian 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.1 0 0 0.1 0 0 0.1 0 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.1 Asian N/A -- 0 0 N/A 0 0 0 N/A -- 0 0 N/A 0 0 0 Asian/Pacific Islander 0.1 N/A N/A N/A 0.3 N/A N/A N/A 0.2 N/A N/A N/A 0.1 N/A N/A N/A Black 55.6 55.9 54.5 51.6 49.5 46.1 42.6 41.2 48.7 47.7 48.7 42.4 55.1 54.6 51.3 50.3 Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander N/A -- -- -- N/A -- -- -- N/A -- -- -- N/A -- -- -- Hispanic 0.6 0.7 0.9 0.9 0.9 1.5 0.9 1.5 1.1 1 0.5 1.2 0.6 0.9 1 1.1 White 43.5 42.9 43.7 46.5 48.9 51.2 55.6 56.4 49.9 50.8 50.1 55.4 43.7 43.6 46.7 47.7 Two or more races N/A 0.2 0.5 0.6 N/A 0.9 0.6 0.4 N/A 0.2 0.4 0.5 N/A 0.5 0.6 0.6 Unknown / Missing data 0 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.4 0.3 0.1 0.3 -- 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 Total % 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 Number 4,839 5,294 5,458 5,448 2,734 2,661 2,672 3,117 2,062 2,334 2,271 2,690 5,511 5,621 5,859 5,875

D. Children Waiting to be Adopted (AFCARS Annual Foster Care Database:  Fiscal Year Data)6

Overview 9/30/99 9/30/00 9/30/01 9/30/02 Children waiting to be adopted 1,013 1,162 1,288 1,535 Children whose parents' rights have been terminated (TPR) 567 653 839 1,088 Age of Waiting Children (%) 1999 2000 2001 2002 Under 1 Year 2.4 2.8 2.1 3.6 1-5 years 27.5 27.8 25.2 26.8 6-10 years 36.2 35.1 32.8 30 11-15 years 24.3 25.9 30.5 29.9 16+ years 5.1 4.6 5.8 6.4 Unknown / Missing data 4.4 3.7 3.5 3.2 Total % 100 100 100 100 Number 1,013 1,162 1,288 1,535 Race/Ethnicity of Waiting Children (%) 1999 2000 2001 2002 Alaska Native/American Indian 0.4 0.3 0 0 Asian N/A -- -- -- Asian/Pacific Islander -- N/A N/A N/A Black 53.4 53.6 51.6 49.3 Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander N/A -- -- -- Hispanic 0.4 0.7 1.2 1.1 White 45.5 45 45.7 48.7 Two or more races N/A 0.3 1 0.5 Unknown / Missing data 0.3 0.2 0.5 0.3 Total % 100 100 100 100 Number 1,013 1,162 1,288 1,535

6Waiting children are children who have a goal of adoption and/or whose parents' rights have been terminated (TPR). 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 Adoption Database)

Age of Adopted Children (%) 1999 2000 2001 2002 Under 1 Year 1.3 2.5 2.5 0.8 1-5 years 49 48.5 46.6 47.8 6-10 years 37.3 33.2 33.2 32.9 11-15 years 11.8 13.4 16.4 15.3 16+ years 0.7 2.5 1.3 3.2 Total % 100 100 100 100 Number 153 202 238 249 Race/Ethnicity of Adopted Children (%) 1999 2000 2001 2002 Alaska Native/American Indian -- -- 0.8 -- Asian N/A -- -- -- Asian/Pacific Islander -- N/A N/A N/A Black 51 40.6 42.4 40.6 Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander N/A -- -- -- Hispanic 2 1 -- 0.4 White 46.4 57.9 55.5 56.2 Two or more races N/A 0.5 1.3 2.4 Unknown / Missing data 0.7 -- -- 0.4 Total % 100 100 100 100 Number 153 202 238 249

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Alabama [ Outcomes Data ]

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

1.1 Recurrence of Maltreatment Within 6 Months (%) 1999 2000 2001 2002 Children without a recurrence -- -- -- -- Children with one or more recurrences -- -- -- -- Total % -- -- -- -- Number -- -- -- --

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 (%) 1999 2000 2001 2002 Children maltreated while in foster care -- -- -- -- Children not maltreated while in foster care -- -- -- -- Total % -- -- -- -- Number -- -- -- --

3. Increase Permanency for Children in Foster Care (AFCARS Annual Foster Care Database:  Fiscal Year Data)

3.1 Exits from Foster Care (%) 1999 2000 2001 2002 Adoption -- 6.2 8 9.2 Guardianship -- -- -- -- Reunification 81.3 77.7 75 77.1 Other 7.4 9 9.5 8.1 Missing data 11.3 7.2 7.5 5.6 Total % 100 100 100 100 Number 2,062 2,334 2,271 2,690 Percent Exits from Foster Care 1999 2000 2001 2002   3.2 Exits of Disabled Children (%) 1999 2000 2001 2002 Adoption -- 12.4 8.4 13.1 Guardianship -- -- -- -- Reunification 69.9 53.2 62.3 53.3 Other 15.6 25.3 19.9 24.3 Missing data 14.5 9.1 9.4 9.3 Total % 100 100 100 100 Number 173 186 191 214 3.3 Exits of Children Over Age 12 at Entry (%) 1999 2000 2001 2002 Adoption -- -- 0.2 0.3 Guardianship -- -- -- -- Reunification 74.1 72.8 71.6 72.2 Other 12.7 14.7 16.2 16.2 Missing data 13.2 12.4 12 11.3 Total % 100 100 100 100 Number 629 651 623 662 3.4 Exits to Emancipation (%) 1999 2000 2001 2002 Children age 12 or younger at entry 63 61.2 60 53.1 Children older than 12 at entry 37 38.8 39.1 46.9 Missing data -- -- 0.9 -- Total % 100 100 100 100 Number 81 103 110 113

3.5 Exits by Race/Ethnicity (%) Alaska Native/A.I. Asian Asian/Pacific Islander Black Native Hawaiian/ Other P.I.   1999 2000 2001 2002 1999 2000 2001 2002 1999 2000 2001 2002 1999 2000 2001 2002 1999 2000 2001 2002 Adoption -- -- 100 -- N/A -- -- -- -- N/A N/A N/A -- 6 6 8.9 N/A -- -- -- Guardianship -- -- -- -- N/A -- -- -- -- N/A N/A N/A -- -- -- -- N/A -- -- -- Reunification 50 -- -- 100 N/A -- 100 50 60 N/A N/A N/A 80.6 75.7 73.8 73.7 N/A -- -- -- Other 50 66.7 -- -- N/A -- -- 50 40 N/A N/A N/A 8.4 10.8 11.1 10.6 N/A -- -- -- Missing data -- 33.3 -- -- N/A -- -- -- -- N/A N/A N/A 11.1 7.5 9.1 6.8 N/A -- -- -- Total % 100 100 100 100 N/A -- 100 100 100 N/A N/A N/A 100 100 100 100 N/A -- -- -- Number 2 3 2 3 N/A -- 1 2 5 N/A N/A N/A 1,004 1,113 1,107 1,141 N/A -- -- --     Hispanic White Unable to Determine Two or More Races Missing Data   1999 2000 2001 2002 1999 2000 2001 2002 1999 2000 2001 2002 1999 2000 2001 2002 1999 2000 2001 2002 Adoption -- 8.7 -- 3.1 -- 6.3 9.7 9.3 -- -- -- 12.5 N/A 20 37.5 42.9 -- -- -- -- Guardianship -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- N/A -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Reunification 86.4 87 83.3 62.5 82 79.4 76.3 80.3 -- 100 100 75 N/A 80 62.5 57.1 -- -- -- -- Other 9.1 4.3 -- 31.2 6.2 7.3 8.1 5.7 -- -- -- -- N/A -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Missing data 4.5 -- 16.7 3.1 11.8 7 6 4.8 -- -- -- 12.5 N/A -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Total % 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 -- 100 100 100 N/A 100 100 100 -- -- -- -- Number 22 23 12 32 1,029 1,185 1,137 1,490 -- 5 4 8 N/A 5 8 14 -- -- -- --

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

4.1 Time to Reunification (%) 1999 2000 2001 2002 Less than 12 mos. 63.5 61.7 57.7 61.4 At least 12 mos., but less than 24 mos. 16.6 20 22.7 20.9 At least 24 mos., but less than 36 mos. 10.2 7.4 8.4 7.5 At least 36 mos., but less than 48 mos. 3.3 3.6 4.7 3.8 48 or more mos. 6.4 7.3 6.6 6.4 Missing data -- -- -- -- Total % 100 100 100 100 Number 1,676 1,813 1,704 2,075 4.2 Children Who Entered Foster Care (%) 1999 2000 2001 2002 Children entering care for the first time 81.1 81.8 78.6 82.2 Children re-entering care within 12 mos. of a prior episode 8.6 7.9 8.8 8.6 Children re-entering care more than 12 mos. after a prior episode 10 10 12.2 9 Missing data 0.3 0.3 0.4 0.2 Total % 100 100 100 100 Number 2,734 2,661 2,672 3,117

5. Reduce Time in Foster Care to Adoption (AFCARS Annual Foster Care Database:  Fiscal Year Data)

5.1 Time to Adoption (%) 1999 2000 2001 2002 Less than 12 mos. -- 4.8 2.2 2.4 At least 12 mos., but less than 24 mos. -- 8.3 11.6 11.3 At least 24 mos., but less than 36 mos. -- 22.8 21.5 24.3 At least 36 mos., but less than 48 mos. -- 25.5 21.5 17.4 48 or more mos. -- 38.6 43.1 44.5 Missing data -- -- -- -- Total % -- 100 100 100 Number -- 145 181 247

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 2 or Fewer Placements Missing Data Total % Number Less than 12 mos. 1999 96 4 -- 100 3,078 2000 96.4 3.6 -- 100 3,064 2001 96.4 3.6 -- 100 3,096 2002 92.1 7.9 -- 100 3,606 At least 12 mos., but less than 24 mos. 1999 83.9 16.1 -- 100 1,357 2000 84.2 15.8 -- 100 1,557 2001 83.5 16.5 -- 100 1,552 2002 79.8 20.2 -- 100 1,590 At least 24 mos., but less than 36 mos. 1999 71.9 28.1 -- 100 978 2000 74.3 25.7 -- 100 895 2001 70.1 29.9 -- 100 1,008 2002 65.7 34.3 -- 100 962 At least 36 mos., but less than 48 mos. 1999 62.4 37.6 -- 100 572 2000 63.9 36.1 -- 100 689 2001 65.1 34.9 -- 100 619 2002 58.9 41.1 -- 100 650 48 or more mos. 1999 48.6 51.4 -- 100 1,577 2000 47 53 -- 100 1,743 2001 46.9 53.1 -- 100 1,854 2002 44.7 55.3 -- 100 1,753 Missing data 1999 90.9 9.1 -- 100 11 2000 100 -- -- 100 7 2001 100 -- -- 100 1 2002 100 -- -- 100 4

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 (%) 1999 2000 2001 2002 Group homes 1.8 4 3.3 3.2 Institutions 6.9 6.8 4.7 4.3 Other settings 87.8 88.4 91.5 92.4 Missing data 3.5 0.8 0.5 0.1 Total % 100 100 100 100 Number 1,876 1,907 1,901 1,727

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Alabama [ State Comment ]

Margaret Bonham, Director
Family Services Division
Alabama Department of Human Resources
334-242-1310

The following are Alabama’s comments on the State data presented in Child Welfare Outcomes 2002: Report to Congress:

• The data in Section B Overview indicate that the number of child maltreatment victims declined from 13,773 in 1999 to 9,990 in 2000 and 9,229 in 2001. While it went back up to 9,903 in 2002, that is still below the 1999 level. The reason for this decline is that the disposition code of Reason to Suspect was eliminated.



• The 2002 data in Section B Overview (Race/Ethnicity of Child Victims) has 12.7 percent of the data in the “Other/Unknown” category. This is more than a five-fold increase over 2001. The problem is that with the implementation of ASSIST (the State SACWIS system) in 2001, “race/ethnicity” of child victims was no longer a mandatory reporting field.



• The data in Section C Overview (Number of Children in Foster Care) show a drop of 411 children in care from 9/30/01 to 10/01/01. This number reflects discharges entered after October 1, 2001, with a discharge date on or before September 30, 2001.



• There are no data available for outcome measures 1.1. and 2.1 because Alabama currently submits the NCANDS Summary Report only. We will capture measures 1.1 and 2.1 when we begin submitting the child file.

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Alabama [ Federal Comment ]

The following discussion focuses on Alabama’s performance with regard to each of the outcomes assessed in the Child Welfare Outcomes Annual Reports to Congress. The Alabama 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 the Child Welfare Monitoring Documents Library. A discussion of the implications of CFSR findings for Alabama’s performance on the Report to Congress Outcomes is provided in Child Welfare Outcomes 2000.

The Federal Comment includes an examination of State performance in 2002 and the percent change in performance from 1999 to 2002. A difference in percent change from 1999 to 2002 that was less than 5.0 in either direction was considered to represent “no change in performance.” With the exception of outcome measure 2.1, the data presented in the Report to Congress are rounded to one decimal. However, the percent change in performance was calculated using data rounded to two decimals. Measure 2.1 is rounded to two decimals because the national standard is less than one percent. Key findings of the analyses of national data pertaining to State variation in performance on the outcome measures are incorporated into a State’s Federal Comment when relevant.

Outcome 1. Reduce recurrence of child abuse and/or neglect
Alabama’s performance on outcome 1 cannot be assessed as part of the Federal Comment section because the State does not provide data to the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS) for calculating this outcome. To ensure data consistency across States, only data submitted through NCANDS are presented for this outcome in the Report to Congress. However, the State provided year 2000 data for this outcome for its CFSR using an alternative source. The State reported that 5.2 percent of the children who were the subjects of a substantiated or indicated child maltreatment in the first 6 months of 2000, experienced another substantiated or indicated maltreatment within 6 months. The national standard is 6.1 percent or fewer.

Outcome 2. Reduce the incidence of child abuse and/or neglect in foster care
Alabama’s performance on outcome 2 cannot be evaluated as part of the Federal Comment section because the State does not provide data to NCANDS for calculating this outcome. In order to ensure data consistency across States, only data submitted through the NCANDS system are presented for this outcome in the Report to Congress. However, the State provided year 2000 data for this outcome for its CFSR using an alternative source (0.15 percent of children in foster care for the first 9 months of the calendar year were maltreated by foster parents or facility staff members). The national standard is 0.57 percent or fewer.

Outcome 3. Increase permanency for children in foster care
In FY 2002, 86.3 percent of children exiting foster care in Alabama were discharged to a permanent home (which is about equal to the national median of 86.1 percent), and 72.5 percent of children exiting foster care who were older than age 12 at entry into foster care were discharged to a permanent home (which is about equal to the national median of 72.0 percent). However, 66.4 percent of children with a diagnosed disability who exited from foster care were discharged to a permanent home (which is less than the national median of 79.8 percent). In addition, 53.1 percent of the children exiting foster care through emancipation were age 12 or younger at the time of entry into foster care (which is almost twice the national median of 26.9 percent). Although this percentage is close to the highest in the nation, it represents an improvement in performance from FY 1999 to 2002 (-15.7 percent change). Alabama’s performance from FY 1999 to FY 2002 improved slightly with regard to the percentage of children leaving foster care who were discharged to a permanent home (+6.2 percent change), but performance declined slightly relative to the percentage of children with a diagnosed disability who were discharged to a permanent home (-5.1 percent change).

Outcome 4. Reduce time to reunification without increasing re-entry
In FY 2002, the percentage of all reunifications in Alabama occurring within 12 months of a child�s entry into foster care was 61.4 percent, which is less than both the national standard (76.2 percent or more) and the national median (68.0 percent). Performance with regard to reunifications within 12 months showed no change from FY 1999 to FY 2002.

Because the cross-State analyses of performance on this measure found a substantial positive relationship between the percentage of reunifications within 12 months in a State and the percentage of children entering foster care who were re-entering within 12 months of a prior episode, Alabama�s performance with regard to reunifications within 12 months must be considered in the context of its re-entry rate. For Alabama, the percentage of children entering foster care in FY 2002 who were re-entering within 12 months of a discharge from a prior foster care episode was 8.6, which meets the national standard (8.6 percent or less) and is less than the national median (9.9 percent). Performance on this measure exhibited no change from FY 1999 to 2002. Thus, although Alabama has a relatively low percentage of reunifications occurring within 12 months of entry into foster care, it also has a relatively low percentage of children re-entering foster care within 12 months of a prior episode.

Outcome 5. Reduce time in foster care to adoption In FY 2002, the percentage of all finalized adoptions occurring within 24 months of a child�s entry into foster care was 13.8, which is less than both the national standard (32.0 percent or more) and the national median (23.0 percent). Change in performance on this measure is assessed from FY 2000 to FY 2002 due to data quality issues for many States for this measure in FY 1999. Alabama�s performance on this measure improved slightly from FY 2000 to FY 2002 (+5.1 percent change).

Outcome 6. Increase placement stability In FY 2002, the percentage of children who experienced no more than 2 placement settings during their first 12 months in foster care was 92.1, which is more than both the national standard (86.7 percent or more) and the national median (84.1 percent). Alabama exhibited no change in performance on this measure from FY 1999 to FY 2002.

Outcome 7. Reduce placements of young children in group homes and institutions In FY 2002, the percentage of children age 12 or younger placed in a group home or institution was 7.5, which is less than the national median of 8.6 percent. Alabama�s performance on this measure improved from FY 1999 to FY 2002 (-14.0 percent change).

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