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

Oklahoma

Context Data | Outcomes Data | State Comment | Federal Comment

Oklahoma [ Context Data ]

A. Key Context Statistics

General Population (Census Bureau) 1999 2000 2001 2002 Total children under 18 years 882,062 880,843 878,154 873,560 Race/ethnicity (%)1, 2         Alaska Native/American Indian 9.7 10.6 10.3 10.2 Asian N/A 1.3 1.4 1.4 Asian/Pacific Islander 1.5 N/A N/A N/A Black 9.5 9.3 9.6 9.7 Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander N/A N/A 0 0 Hispanic 6.2 7.9 7.9 8 White 73.1 64.6 65.2 65.1 Two or more races N/A 6.2 5.5 5.4 Other N/A 0.1 0 0 % Child population in poverty 17 24.1 21.4 19.3 Child Welfare Summary 1999 2000 2002 2002 Child maltreatment victims3 16,210 13,861 13,698 13,721 Children in foster care on 9/30 8,173 8,406 8,674 8,812 Children adopted 829 1,073 959 1,011

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 60,955 59,955 63,520 68,971 69.1 per 1,000 68.1 per 1,000 72.3 per 1,000 78.9 per 1,000 Child maltreatment victims 16,210 13,861 13,698 13,721 18.4 per 1,000 15.7 per 1,000 15.6 per 1,000 15.7 per 1,000 Child fatalities 47 -- 28 23 5.3 per 100,000 -- per 100,000 3.2 per 100,000 2.6 per 100,000

Age of Child Victims (%) 1999 2000 2001 2002 Under 1 Year 9.3 11.2 11.7 12.5 1-5 years 31.4 32.6 32.7 33.9 6-10 years 30.5 28.7 28.2 26.6 11-15 years 23 21.7 22.6 22.8 16+ years 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.2 Unknown / Missing data 1.4 1.2 0.2 0.1 Total % 100 100 100 100 Number 16,210 13,861 13,698 13,721 Race/Ethnicity of Child Victims (%) 1999 2000 2001 2002 Alaska Native/American Indian 14.4 12.7 13.6 15 Asian/Pacific Islander 0.5 0.5 0.8 0.7 Black 13.5 12.9 13.8 13.4 Hispanic 5.2 6.2 7.3 9 White 69.1 63 61.2 59 Two or more races 0 3.5 2.6 2.1 Total %4 105.2 100 100 100 Number 16,210 13,861 13,698 13,721 Maltreatment Type of Child Victims (%) 1999 2000 2001 2002 Emotional Abuse 11.4 11.2 8.4 4.7 Medical Neglect 3.1 3.3 3.3 3.3 Neglect 98 80 83.4 85.9 Physical Abuse 24.9 19.9 20 20.5 Sexual Abuse 8 7.8 7.6 7.6 Unknown / Missing data 0 1.4 0.1 0 Other 13.2 -- -- -- Total %5 158.6 123.6 122.8 122 Number 16,210 13,861 13,698 13,721

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) 6,432 6,484 4,746 8,173 12,916 FY2000 (10/1/99 - 9/30/00) 7,204 6,558 5,364 8,406 13,762 FY2001 (10/1/00 - 9/30/01) 8,051 6,487 5,864 8,674 14,538 FY2002 (10/1/01 - 9/30/02) 8,217 6,923 6,328 8,812 15,140 Median Length of Stay (Months)   FY1999 (10/1/98 - 9/30/99) 14.5 N/A 6.4 11.6 N/A FY2000 (10/1/99 - 9/30/00) 13.4 N/A 7.6 11.9 N/A FY2001 (10/1/00 - 9/30/01) 15.5 N/A 6.9 14.8 N/A FY2002 (10/1/01 - 9/30/02) 15.1 N/A 6.7 14.5 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 4.4 4.2 4.8 5.4 11.1 11.5 14.3 14.7 5.3 4.5 5.2 5.9 4.4 4.9 5.4 5.7 1-5 years 27.7 25.8 28.6 31.3 27.1 26.7 33.7 34.1 28.7 26.5 32.4 34.5 26.7 26.4 31.3 32.7 6-10 years 27.4 26.3 27.5 25.8 21.1 21.6 24.7 23.6 23.7 23 26.6 26 25 24.5 25.5 23.7 11-15 years 27 27.5 26.8 26.8 25.2 24.7 21.6 22.2 21.1 22.7 21.8 22.2 27 26.3 26.2 26.7 16-18 years 13.3 16 12.2 10.6 15.4 15.4 5.6 5.4 20.9 23 13.6 11.1 16.5 17.4 11.3 11.2 19+ years 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.1 -- 0 0 -- 0.2 0.2 0.5 0.3 0.3 0.4 0.2 0 Unknown / Missing data 0 0 -- -- 0.1 0.1 0 -- 0.1 0.1 0 -- 0 0 0 0 Total % 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 Number 6,432 7,204 8,051 8,217 6,484 6,558 6,487 6,923 4,746 5,364 5,864 6,328 8,173 8,406 8,674 8,812 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 14.7 12 12.6 13.6 14.3 18.4 13.7 12.3 14 12.8 12.9 12.8 14.8 16.4 13.2 13.1 Asian N/A 0 0 0.1 N/A 0.4 0.4 0.3 N/A 0.2 0.4 0.3 N/A 0.2 0 0.1 Asian/Pacific Islander 0.2 N/A N/A N/A 0.3 N/A N/A N/A 0.3 N/A N/A N/A 0.2 N/A N/A N/A Black 24.8 21.6 20.4 18.9 19.5 17.3 15.5 14.7 20.7 19.7 16.7 15.1 23 19.5 19.3 18.4 Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander N/A 0 0.2 0 N/A 0.4 0.2 0.1 N/A 0.1 0.3 0 N/A 0.3 0 0 Hispanic 4.6 4.7 5 5.7 5.6 6 7.5 9.8 5.5 6.6 6.8 7.4 4.8 4.5 5.7 7.7 White 55.3 51 49 48.7 58.7 50 51.5 49.1 58.6 52.5 51.7 50.8 56.1 49.3 49 47.5 Two or more races N/A 10.2 12.4 12.7 N/A 6.9 10.8 13.4 N/A 7.7 10.6 13.3 N/A 9.2 12.4 12.9 Unknown / Missing data 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.8 0.7 0.4 0.3 0.7 0.5 0.5 0.3 0.5 0.5 0.3 0.2 Total % 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 Number 6,432 7,204 8,051 8,217 6,484 6,558 6,487 6,923 4,746 5,364 5,864 6,328 8,173 8,406 8,674 8,812

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 1,832 1,767 2,390 2,435 Children whose parents' rights have been terminated (TPR) 25 18 -- -- Age of Waiting Children (%) 1999 2000 2001 2002 Under 1 Year 2.6 2.5 3 2.9 1-5 years 29.9 29.3 31.9 36 6-10 years 33.1 33.1 31.3 30.5 11-15 years 30.2 31.2 29 27 16+ years 3.8 3.5 4.8 3.6 Unknown / Missing data 0.4 0.5 0 0 Total % 100 100 100 100 Number 1,832 1,767 2,390 2,435 Race/Ethnicity of Waiting Children (%) 1999 2000 2001 2002 Alaska Native/American Indian 13.9 11.4 10.8 8.9 Asian N/A -- -- 0 Asian/Pacific Islander 0.3 N/A N/A N/A Black 31.1 25.4 24.9 23.4 Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander N/A -- -- 0 Hispanic 5 3.7 4.7 6.2 White 49.3 47.2 45.8 48 Two or more races N/A 11.8 13.5 13.1 Unknown / Missing data 0.4 0.5 0.4 0.3 Total % 100 100 100 100 Number 1,832 1,767 2,390 2,435

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 2.2 1.4 1.3 1 1-5 years 39.3 41 39.7 46.3 6-10 years 36.9 35.4 37 32.1 11-15 years 19.1 18.5 19.8 17.6 16+ years 2.5 3.6 2.2 3 Total % 100 100 100 100 Number 829 1,073 959 1,011 Race/Ethnicity of Adopted Children (%) 1999 2000 2001 2002 Alaska Native/American Indian 9.5 12 11.3 11.7 Asian N/A 0.7 0.4 0.3 Asian/Pacific Islander 0.4 N/A N/A N/A Black 22.4 24.7 18.4 19.4 Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander N/A 0.3 0.5 0 Hispanic 4.3 6.5 5.1 3.7 White 56.3 50.8 57.6 53 Two or more races N/A 4.8 6.7 11.8 Unknown / Missing data 0.5 0.3 0.1 0 Total % 100 100 100 100 Number 829 1,073 959 1,011

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Oklahoma [ 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 88.2 88.3 90.2 90.4 Children with one or more recurrences 11.8 11.7 9.8 9.6 Total % 100 100 100 100 Number 7,108 6,287 6,249 6,495

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 1 1.3 1.4 1.6 Children not maltreated while in foster care 99 98.7 98.6 98.4 Total % 100 100 100 100 Number 11,868 12,478 13,141 13,713

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 17.6 19.7 16.4 16.6 Guardianship 2.2 2.3 4.6 5.8 Reunification 73.8 71 69.9 68.9 Other 6.4 6.9 8.1 8.5 Missing data -- -- 1.1 0.1 Total % 100 100 100 100 Number 4,746 5,364 5,864 6,328 Percent Exits from Foster Care 1999 2000 2001 2002   3.2 Exits of Disabled Children (%) 1999 2000 2001 2002 Adoption 39.6 42 26.8 27.3 Guardianship 2.2 2.4 4.4 4.9 Reunification 45.7 43.4 47 47.6 Other 12.6 12.2 21.2 19.9 Missing data -- -- 0.6 0.3 Total % 100 100 100 100 Number 692 655 836 916 3.3 Exits of Children Over Age 12 at Entry (%) 1999 2000 2001 2002 Adoption 1 1.3 1.8 2.1 Guardianship 0.4 0.9 3.4 5.4 Reunification 83.4 82.2 72 65.1 Other 15.1 15.7 21.7 27 Missing data -- -- 1.1 0.4 Total % 100 100 100 100 Number 1,448 1,794 1,205 1,117 3.4 Exits to Emancipation (%) 1999 2000 2001 2002 Children age 12 or younger at entry 36.4 27.8 33.6 28.8 Children older than 12 at entry 63.6 68.5 66.4 71.2 Missing data -- 3.7 -- -- Total % 100 100 100 100 Number 88 54 280 340

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 15 10 11.1 15.7 N/A -- 3.8 -- -- N/A N/A N/A 17.7 22.3 16.9 18.3 N/A -- -- 16.7 Guardianship 2.7 1.5 4 3.9 N/A -- -- -- -- N/A N/A N/A 0.6 1.8 6 6.3 N/A -- -- -- Reunification 75.3 79.7 69.7 63.4 N/A 100 88.5 100 -- N/A N/A N/A 6.7 6.6 7.6 7.7 N/A 57.1 94.7 66.7 Other 6.9 8.9 14 16.9 N/A -- 7.7 -- -- N/A N/A N/A -- -- 1.1 0.1 N/A 42.9 5.3 16.7 Missing data -- -- 1.3 0.1 N/A -- -- -- N/A -- -- -- Total % 100 100 100 100 N/A 100 100 100 100 N/A N/A N/A 100 100 100 100 N/A 100 100 100 Number 665 688 758 811 N/A 10 26 17 14 N/A N/A N/A 981 1,055 981 957 N/A 7 19 6     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 17.8 21.5 14.8 9.9 18.2 19.4 17.5 17.3 9.4 24 17.9 12.5 33.3 30.2 18.8 16.8 -- -- -- -- Guardianship 3.1 2.5 0.5 5.4 2.6 2.7 4.8 6.2 3.1 4 3.6 12.5 N/A 2.2 5 5.9 -- -- -- -- Reunification 73 70.1 79.4 76.8 73 70.9 69.3 69.2 81.2 68 78.6 75 60 62.8 67.4 69.6 -- -- -- -- Other 6.2 5.9 4.3 7.7 6.2 7 7.4 7.1 6.2 4 -- -- 6.7 4.9 7.9 7.6 -- -- -- -- Missing data -- -- 1 0.2 -- -- 1.1 0.2 -- -- -- -- N/A -- 1 0.1 -- -- -- -- Total % 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 -- -- -- -- Number 259 354 399 466 2,780 2,814 3,030 3,214 32 25 28 16 15 411 623 841 -- -- -- --

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. 81.5 80.2 78.6 80.2 At least 12 mos., but less than 24 mos. 12 13.5 14.7 13.5 At least 24 mos., but less than 36 mos. 3.5 3.5 3.9 4.1 At least 36 mos., but less than 48 mos. 1.1 1.2 1.6 1.4 48 or more mos. 0.7 0.9 1.2 0.8 Missing data 1.2 0.7 -- -- Total % 100 100 100 100 Number 3,504 3,811 4,097 4,360 4.2 Children Who Entered Foster Care (%) 1999 2000 2001 2002 Children entering care for the first time 74.8 76 78.4 78 Children re-entering care within 12 mos. of a prior episode 17.3 15.3 13.5 13.8 Children re-entering care more than 12 mos. after a prior episode 5.2 6.9 8 8.2 Missing data 2.7 1.8 -- -- Total % 100 100 100 100 Number 6,484 6,558 6,487 6,923

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. 7.7 6.7 3.6 3.4 At least 12 mos., but less than 24 mos. 19.9 24.6 21.8 23 At least 24 mos., but less than 36 mos. 26.4 26.1 29.4 30.3 At least 36 mos., but less than 48 mos. 21.5 16.4 18.7 19.9 48 or more mos. 24.5 25.9 26.4 23.4 Missing data -- 0.3 -- -- Total % 100 100 100 100 Number 833 1,056 962 1,049

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 76.5 23.5 -- 100 7,269 2000 75.9 24.1 -- 100 7,618 2001 73.8 24.2 2 100 7,322 2002 72.3 25.7 2 100 7,798 At least 12 mos., but less than 24 mos. 1999 42 58 -- 100 2,231 2000 48.2 51.8 -- 100 2,566 2001 45.9 53.7 0.4 100 2,942 2002 46 53.7 0.2 100 3,029 At least 24 mos., but less than 36 mos. 1999 32.8 67.2 -- 100 1,296 2000 30.9 69.1 -- 100 1,330 2001 34.7 64.8 0.5 100 1,572 2002 34.9 65 0.1 100 1,699 At least 36 mos., but less than 48 mos. 1999 33.5 66.5 -- 100 805 2000 23.7 76.3 -- 100 806 2001 23.7 76.1 0.2 100 929 2002 25.2 74.7 0.1 100 925 48 or more mos. 1999 42.6 57.4 -- 100 1,259 2000 29.8 70.2 -- 100 1,414 2001 22.9 77.1 -- 100 1,768 2002 15.1 84.8 0 100 1,667 Missing data 1999 100 -- -- 100 56 2000 100 -- -- 100 28 2001 80 20 -- 100 5 2002 90.9 9.1 -- 100 22

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 13.4 13.2 14.9 14.8 Institutions 1.5 1.3 1.4 1.6 Other settings 85.2 85.4 83.7 83.6 Missing data -- -- -- -- Total % 100 100 100 100 Number 4,081 4,182 5,093 5,492

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Oklahoma [ State Comment ]

Howard H. Hendrick, Director
Oklahoma Department of Human Services
405-521-3646

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

• With regard to the Child Welfare Context Data, Section A, Child Maltreatment Victims, an alternative response system was implemented in Oklahoma in April 1999. Changes in overall and individual findings were made in May 2000. Effective December 2000, children assessed under the alternative response system were no longer reported to NCANDS as victims. These changes resulted in a decrease in the number of child maltreatment victims and the victimization rate for Oklahoma after 2000.
  
  
• With regard to Child Welfare Context Data, Section B, Child Fatalities, Oklahoma investigates all child fatalities, including those with no surviving siblings, and those not reported directly to the agency. Child fatalities due to failure to protect or improper supervision, such as unsupervised or improperly supervised children who die in a house fire or by drowning, are included in the statistics. The decrease in the number and rate of child fatalities from federal fiscal years 1998-2000 to 2001 is due in part to a change in reporting methodology. Prior to 2001, the state reported fatalities in the NCANDS Agency File based on date of death within the reporting period. Beginning in 2001, the state used data from the automated SACWIS system based on date of determination within the reporting period. The number of fatalities reported in the NCANDS Agency File for 2000 was 45.
  
  
• With regard to Outcome Measure 2.1, Maltreatment in Foster Care, the Oklahoma NCANDS submission includes maltreatment in family foster care, but excludes maltreatment in institutions.
  
  
• With regard to Outcome Measure 5.1, Exits to Adoption, Oklahoma reported exits to trial rather than finalized adoptions for 1998-2000. The data for 2001 represent exits to finalized adoptions.
  
  
• With regard to Outcome Measure 6.1, Number of Placements, Oklahoma included respite, short-term hospital and psychiatric stays, and multiple placements with the same provider, in the number of placement settings for 1998-2000. The data for 2001 do not include respite, short-term hospital and psychiatric stays, but do include multiple placements with the same providers.
  
  

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Oklahoma [ Federal Comment ]

The following discussion focuses on Oklahoma’s performance with regard to each of the outcomes assessed in the Child Welfare Outcomes Annual Reports to Congress. The Oklahoma 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 Oklahoma’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, Oklahoma’s rate of maltreatment recurrence within 6 months was 9.6 percent, which is more than both the national standard (6.1 percent or less) and the national median (7.5 percent). However, performance on this measure improved from 1999 to 2002 (-18.6 percent change).

The cross-State analyses found a small, but definite, positive relationship between performance on this outcome measure and the percentage of child victims experiencing neglect. States with a relatively high percentage of child victims experiencing neglect tended to have a relatively high percentage of maltreatment recurrence. For Oklahoma, both the incidence of maltreatment recurrence (9.6 percent) and the percentage of child victims experiencing neglect (85.9 percent) were in the top quartile of the State rankings. This suggests that a State’s definitions and laws pertaining to what constitutes maltreatment may be related to the State’s performance on the measure of maltreatment recurrence.

Outcome 2. Reduce the incidence of child abuse and/or neglect in foster care
In CY 2002, Oklahoma’s incidence of maltreatment in foster care was 1.62 percent, which was the highest in the Nation. Performance on this measure declined from 1999 to 2002 (+68.6 percent change). Performance on this measure may be attributed in part to the fact that the State reports licensing violations of foster parents to NCANDS as maltreatment, although it would not be considered maltreatment if the “parent” was not a foster parent.

Outcome 3. Increase permanency for children in foster care
In FY 2002, 91.3 percent of children exiting foster care in Oklahoma were discharged to a permanent homes (which is more than the national median of 86.1 percent); 79.8 percent of children with a diagnosed disability who exited foster care were discharged to a permanent home (which is equal to the national median of 79.8 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). This suggests that the State is somewhat successful in achieving permanency for children exiting foster care. However, 28.8 percent of the children emancipating from foster care were age 12 or younger when they entered foster care, which is more than the national median of 26.9 percent. Although Oklahoma exhibited no change in performance from FY 1999 to FY 2000 with regard to finding permanent homes for all children exiting foster care, performance declined with regard to: (1) the percentage of children exiting foster care who had a diagnosed disability and were discharged to a permanent home (-8.7 percent change), and the percentage of children exiting foster care to a permanent home who were older than age 12 when they entered foster care (-14.6 percent change). The State’s performance improved from FY 1999 to FY 2002 with regard to the percentage of children emancipated from foster care who were age 12 or younger when they entered foster care (-20.7 percent change).

Outcome 4. Reduce time to reunification without increasing re-entry
In FY 2002, the percentage of all reunifications in Oklahoma occurring within 12 months of a child’s entry into foster care was 80.2, which is more 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 exhibited no change from FY 1999 to FY 2002.

Because the cross-State analyses found a substantial positive relationship between performance on this measure and the State percentage of children entering foster care who were re-entering within 12 months of a prior episode, Oklahoma’s performance in FY 2002 with regard to reunifications within 12 months must be considered in the context of its re-entry rate. For Oklahoma, 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 13.8, which is considerably more than both the national standard (8.6 percent or less) and the national median (9.9 percent). Thus, although Oklahoma had a relatively high percentage of reunifications in FY 2002 that occurred within 12 months, the State also had a relatively high percentage of children entering foster care in FY 2002 who were re-entering within 12 months of a prior foster care episode. Oklahoma’s performance on the measure of foster care re-entry improved from FY 1999 to FY 2002 (-20.2 percent change).

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 26.4, which does not meet the national standard (32.0 percent or more), but is more than the national median of 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. Oklahoma’s performance on this measure declined from FY 2000 to FY 2002 (-15.8 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 72.3, which is less than both the national standard (86.7 percent or more) and the national median (84.1 percent). Oklahoma’s performance on this measure declined slightly from FY 1999 to FY 2002 (-5.4 percent change).

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 16.4, which is more than the national median of 8.6 percent. Oklahoma’s performance on this measure declined from FY 1999 to FY 2002 (+10.7 percent change).

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