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California
Context Data | Outcomes Data | State Comment | Federal Comment
California [ Context Data ]
A. Key Context Statistics |
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| 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) |
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| 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) |
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D. Children Waiting to be Adopted (AFCARS Annual Foster Care Database: Fiscal Year Data)6 |
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| 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) |
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California [ Outcomes Data ]
California [ State Comment ]
Children and Family Services Division
California Department of Social Services
916-657-2614
- In Section B—Maltreatment Information Overview—no data are available for child fatalities in 2001 or 2002. This is because California’s child fatality data are derived from three distinct statewide data systems and are based on the number of unique cases identified in anyone of these systems. The final numbers for these federal fiscal years have not yet been completed.
- The data in Section B—Race/Ethnicity of Child Victims—demonstrate a significant decrease in the category ‘Hispanic’ in
2002 (18.3 percent) compared to 2001 (41.3 percent). In addition, the ‘Other’ category increased from 5.3 percent in 2001 to
29.1 percent in 2002. These findings are due to recent changes in federal requirements that have required California to
reassess the logic used to identify race and ethnicity. This process is not yet completed.
- The data in Section C—Children in Foster Care—show a decrease of 7.7 percent in the number of children in care from
9/30/01 to 10/01/01. Although the decrease appears to be for a 24-hour period, in fact, the inventory is for a year later
because it is for a different reporting period. The decrease also is partly due to late reporting of case closures (exits from
foster care).
- The data for outcome measure 1.1 indicate that 11.2 percent of children who were the subject of a substantiated or indicated maltreatment report during the first 6 months of the year, were the subject of another substantiated or indicated report within a 6-month period. Although this is 3.7 percentage points higher than the national median, based on a review of a sample of cases, the State believes the recurrence data to be seriously inflated due to county worker input of multiple referrals for the same instance of abuse.
California [ Federal Comment ]
The following discussion focuses on California’s performance with regard to each of the outcomes assessed in the Child Welfare Outcomes Annual Reports to Congress. The California 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 California’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
In calendar year (CY) 2002, California’s rate of maltreatment recurrence within 6 months was 11.2 percent, which is more than both the national standard (6.1 percent or less) and the national median (7.5 percent). Performance on this measure exhibited no change from 1999 to 2002.
Outcome 2. Reduce the incidence of child abuse and/or neglect in foster care
In CY 2002, California’s incidence of maltreatment in foster care was 0.33 percent, which is less than both the national standard (0.57 percent or less) and the national median (0.39 percent). Performance on this measure exhibited no change from 2001 (the first year that data were reported for the measure) to 2002.
Outcome 3. Increase permanency for children in foster care
In FY 2002, 81.7 percent of children exiting foster care in California were discharged to a permanent home (which is less than the national median of 86.1 percent), and 58.3 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 less than the national median of 72.0 percent). In addition, 43.3 percent of the children emancipated from foster care were age 12 or younger at the time they entered foster care, which is more than the national median of 26.9 percent. These findings suggest that the State experiences challenges in achieving permanency for children exiting foster care. However, 82.0 percent of children with a diagnosed disability who exited from foster care were discharged to a permanent home, which is more than the national median of 79.8 percent.
The State’s performance on the measures for outcome 3 exhibited no change from FY 1999 to FY 2002, with the exception of the percentage of children emancipated from foster care who were age 12 or younger when they entered foster care. Performance on this measure declined from FY 1999 to FY 2002 (+31.7 percent change).
Outcome 4. Reduce time to reunification without increasing re-entry
In FY 2002, the percentage of all reunifications in California occurring within 12 months of a child’s entry into foster care was 61.2, which is less than both the national standard (76.2 percent or more) and the national median (68.0 percent). However, performance with regard to reunifications within 12 months of entry into foster care improved from FY 1999 to FY 2002 (+13.2 percent change).
California’s performance in FY 2002 with regard to the percent of re-entries into foster care within 12 months of a discharge from a prior foster care episode was 11.0 percent. This is more than both the national standard (8.6 percent or less) and the national median (9.9 percent). In addition, performance on this measure declined from FY 1999 to FY 2002 (+8.4 percent change). These findings indicate that the positive association found across States between the percentage of reunifications occurring within 12 months and the percentage of re-entries occurring within 12 months does not apply to California. California had both a relatively low percentage of reunifications within 12 months and a relatively high percentage of re-entries 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 20.9, 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. California’s performance on this measure improved from FY 2000 to FY 2002 (+16.0 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 80.3, which is less than both the national standard (86.7 percent or more) and the national median of 84.1 percent. Performance on this measure did not change 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 13.8, which is more than the national median of 8.6 percent. Performance on this measure improved from FY 1999 to FY 2002 (-19.4 percent change).
