Alaska
Context Data | Outcomes Data | State Comment | Federal Comment
Alaska [ Context Data ]
A. Context Statistics
| General Child Population (Census Bureau) | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total children under 18 years | 190,311 | 189,610 | 189,824 | 189,289 |
| Race/Ethnicity (%)1 | ||||
| Alaska Native/American Indian | 19.4 | 19.7 | 19.7 | 19.8 |
| Asian | 4.1 | 3.9 | 3.5 | 3.5 |
| Black (non-Hispanic) | 3.6 | 4.0 | 3.8 | 3.8 |
| Native Hawaiian/other Pacific Islander | 0.0 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.6 |
| Hispanic (of any race) | 5.4 | 5.5 | 5.6 | 5.9 |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 58.8 | 59.5 | 63.9 | 63.7 |
| Two or more races | 8.4 | 6.8 | 7.7 | 7.7 |
| % Child population in poverty | 10.6 | 12.5 | 11.3 | 11.2 |
| Child Welfare Summary | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Child maltreatment victims2 | 6,957 | 15,947 | 7,950 | 7,996 |
| Children in foster care on 9/30 | 2,193 | 1,993 | 2,072 | 2,040 |
| Children adopted | 202 | 278 | 230 | 208 |
B. Child Maltreatment Data [National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS)]
| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overview Maltreatment Information | Number | Rate | Number | Rate | Number | Rate | Number | Rate |
| Children subject of an investigated report alleging child maltreatment | 8,431 | 44.3 per 1,000 | 18,422 | 97.2 per 1,000 | 10,002 | 52.7 per 1,000 | 10,575 | 55.9 per 1,000 |
| Total child maltreatment victims3 | 6,957 | 36.6 per 1,000 | 15,947 | 84.1 per 1,000 | 7,950 | 41.9 per 1,000 | 7,996 | 42.2 per 1,000 |
| Child fatalities | 8 | 4.2 per 100,000 | 4 | 2.1 per 100,000 | 1 | 0.5 per 100,000 | 2 | 1.1 per 100,000 |
1 Race/ethnicity data for 2001, 2002, and 2003 represent population estimates. Back
2 A child victim is defined as a child who is the subject of a substantiated or indicated maltreatment report. Back
3 Children with more than one report of substantiated or indicated maltreatment may be counted more than once. Back
| Age of Child Victims (%) | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| <1 year | 7.8 | 7.3 | 8.0 | 8.0 |
| 1-5 years | 30.9 | 31.9 | 31.7 | 32.2 |
| 6-10 years | 32.1 | 32.3 | 30.1 | 29.6 |
| 11-15 years | 24.4 | 24.4 | 25.6 | 25.8 |
| 16+ years | 4.8 | 4.1 | 4.6 | 4.4 |
| Unknown | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Number | 6,957 | 15,947 | 7,950 | 7,996 |
| Race/Ethnicity of Child Victims (%)4 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska Native/American Indian | 45.2 | 46.7 | 48.0 | 46.8 |
| Asian | 3.2 | 3.3 | 2.4 | 0.8 |
| Black (non-Hispanic) | 6.4 | 7.5 | 5.9 | 6.0 |
| Native Hawaiian/other Pacific Islander | N/A | N/A | N/A | 1.6 |
| Hispanic (of any race) | 2.4 | 2.9 | 2.0 | 2.4 |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 36.9 | 34.9 | 38.0 | 37.5 |
| Two or more races | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Unknown | 5.8 | 4.7 | 3.7 | 5.0 |
| Number | 6,957 | 15,947 | 7,950 | 7,996 |
| Maltreatment Types of Child Victims (%)5 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emotional abuse | 13.5 | 9.9 | 8.7 | 11.3 |
| Medical neglect | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Neglect | 60.5 | 58.5 | 62.3 | 59.8 |
| Physical abuse | 26.6 | 22.1 | 21.1 | 21.8 |
| Sexual abuse | 12.1 | 9.4 | 7.9 | 7.2 |
| Unknown/missing data | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Other | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Number | 6,957 | 15,947 | 7,950 | 7,996 |
4 Percentages may total more than 100 because Hispanics may be counted by Hispanic ethnicity and race. Back
5 Percentages may total more than 100 because children can be victims of more than one type of maltreatment. Back
C. Characteristics of Children in Foster Care [Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS): Foster Care File]
| In Foster Care on 10/1 FY | Entered Foster Care in FY | Exited Foster Care in FY | In Foster Care on 9/30 FY | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | |
| Total Number | 2,010 | 1,990 | 1,848 | 1,878 | 1,096 | 999 | 1,068 | 943 | 913 | 996 | 844 | 781 | 2,193 | 1,993 | 2,072 | 2,040 |
| Median length of stay (months) | 15.0 | 17.4 | 17.7 | 17.0 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 14.3 | 16.9 | 19.1 | 14.5 | 16.7 | 17.8 | 16.5 | 17.5 |
| In Foster Care on 10/1 FY | Entered Foster Care in FY | Exited Foster Care in FY | In Foster Care on 9/30 FY | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (%) | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 |
| <1 year | 4.9 | 4.0 | 3.7 | 4.8 | 14.7 | 14.1 | 15.3 | 14.4 | 3.0 | 3.9 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 4.0 | 3.5 | 4.7 | 4.1 |
| 1 year | 6.7 | 7.0 | 7.2 | 5.3 | 7.5 | 9.7 | 6.7 | 8.5 | 6.1 | 6.6 | 7.6 | 6.7 | 7.0 | 6.9 | 5.3 | 6.7 |
| 2 years | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.4 | 7.2 | 7.0 | 7.1 | 7.2 | 6.5 | 7.3 | 7.6 | 6.5 | 9.1 | 6.6 | 6.6 | 7.5 | 5.4 |
| 3 years | 5.4 | 6.2 | 6.5 | 6.2 | 5.7 | 8.0 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 5.9 | 8.1 | 7.3 | 7.3 | 6.3 | 6.6 | 5.9 | 5.9 |
| 4 years | 5.6 | 6.1 | 5.4 | 6.1 | 6.2 | 4.9 | 5.6 | 5.8 | 5.0 | 6.7 | 8.4 | 9.3 | 6.0 | 5.3 | 6.0 | 5.6 |
| 5 years | 5.8 | 5.3 | 5.9 | 4.6 | 5.7 | 5.4 | 4.9 | 5.1 | 5.5 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 5.0 | 5.6 | 6.0 | 4.2 | 5.0 |
| 6 years | 6.6 | 6.1 | 5.0 | 5.6 | 7.3 | 5.7 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 5.3 | 5.2 | 6.7 | 6.2 | 5.2 | 5.6 | 4.9 |
| 7 years | 5.4 | 6.9 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 5.8 | 7.4 | 5.1 | 4.5 | 5.7 | 6.9 | 5.3 | 5.5 | 7.0 | 5.9 | 5.8 | 5.1 |
| 8 years | 6.2 | 5.4 | 5.8 | 5.2 | 6.5 | 4.7 | 4.6 | 5.0 | 6.4 | 7.4 | 5.9 | 6.1 | 5.5 | 6.1 | 5.3 | 4.9 |
| 9 years | 6.6 | 6.3 | 5.5 | 5.3 | 5.5 | 6.4 | 5.0 | 4.8 | 6.8 | 6.2 | 4.4 | 4.5 | 5.9 | 5.5 | 5.3 | 5.1 |
| 10 years | 6.0 | 6.1 | 6.3 | 5.8 | 4.7 | 5.5 | 5.3 | 4.8 | 6.0 | 5.7 | 5.0 | 5.5 | 6.2 | 6.0 | 5.6 | 5.4 |
| 11 years | 5.5 | 6.0 | 6.1 | 6.1 | 6.1 | 4.1 | 5.2 | 6.0 | 5.1 | 5.0 | 6.3 | 5.6 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 6.1 | 5.6 |
| 12 years | 4.7 | 5.3 | 5.8 | 5.7 | 4.5 | 3.9 | 5.1 | 5.6 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 5.5 | 5.3 | 5.7 | 5.8 | 6.5 |
| 13 years | 5.6 | 5.0 | 5.3 | 5.8 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 5.2 | 4.2 | 5.4 | 4.3 | 5.3 | 2.8 | 4.6 | 5.2 | 5.6 | 6.1 |
| 14 years | 4.9 | 5.1 | 4.9 | 5.5 | 3.9 | 3.1 | 4.8 | 4.9 | 4.1 | 3.1 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.6 | 5.8 |
| 15 years | 4.6 | 4.1 | 5.4 | 5.5 | 2.3 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 3.3 | 4.6 | 1.7 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 4.0 | 5.1 | 5.6 | 5.5 |
| 16 years | 4.5 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.6 | 2.0 | 2.1 | 2.2 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 3.3 | 3.0 | 3.2 | 4.1 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 5.3 |
| 17 years | 3.5 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 1.6 | 0.8 | 4.1 | 3.3 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 3.2 | 4.2 |
| 18 years | 1.2 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 0.0 | <.1 | 0.0 | 4.9 | 3.1 | 3.9 | 2.0 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 1.5 | 1.9 |
| 19 years | <.1 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.7 |
| 20 years | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.0 | <.1 | 0.3 | <.1 | 0.2 |
| Missing data | <.1 | <.1 | <.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | <.1 | <.1 | <.1 | 0.0 |
| In Foster Care on 10/1 FY | Entered Foster Care in FY | Exited Foster Care in FY | In Foster Care on 9/30 FY | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race/Ethnicity (%) | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 |
| Alaska Native/American Indian | 55.0 | 59.8 | 61.4 | 61.4 | 57.4 | 59.6 | 55.0 | 61.7 | 51.4 | 58.9 | 56.2 | 55.8 | 57.7 | 60.2 | 60.2 | 63.7 |
| Asian | 0.9 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 1.2 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.4 |
| Black (non-Hispanic) | 9.9 | 10.0 | 9.1 | 9.4 | 8.4 | 9.4 | 10.6 | 6.4 | 8.1 | 11.1 | 10.1 | 10.9 | 9.8 | 9.1 | 9.5 | 7.5 |
| Native Hawaiian/other Pacific Islander | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Hispanic (of any race) | 2.2 | 1.6 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 1.5 | 0.9 | 2.5 | 3.4 | 2.4 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 2.6 |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 29.5 | 26.3 | 26.5 | 25.5 | 28.4 | 27.2 | 29.4 | 26.1 | 33.8 | 24.5 | 29.9 | 28.4 | 27.1 | 27.6 | 26.6 | 24.7 |
| Two or more races | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Unknown | 2.5 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 3.9 | 1.8 | 2.0 | 2.1 | 3.8 | 2.3 | 1.8 | 2.4 | 2.7 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 1.2 |
| Missing data | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
D. Characteristics of Children "Waiting for Adoption"6 (AFCARS: Foster Care File)
| Waiting for Adoption | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total waiting children | 688 | 701 | 621 | 639 |
| Numbers of waiting children whose parents' rights have been terminated | 371 | 341 | 357 | 367 |
| Age (%) | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| <1 year | 3.2 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 1.9 |
| 1 year | 7.7 | 7.0 | 5.3 | 5.6 |
| 2 years | 8.3 | 7.7 | 7.9 | 4.9 |
| 3 years | 8.1 | 9.0 | 6.8 | 7.0 |
| 4 years | 7.4 | 7.0 | 6.6 | 6.9 |
| 5 years | 7.3 | 7.3 | 6.0 | 5.0 |
| 6 years | 7.4 | 5.6 | 7.1 | 6.7 |
| 7 years | 9.3 | 6.6 | 7.6 | 6.1 |
| 8 years | 6.0 | 7.6 | 6.0 | 5.9 |
| 9 years | 5.1 | 7.1 | 6.6 | 5.9 |
| 10 years | 7.0 | 6.1 | 8.1 | 5.6 |
| 11 years | 6.8 | 7.1 | 6.0 | 7.8 |
| 12 years | 4.9 | 6.0 | 6.1 | 7.0 |
| 13 years | 3.5 | 4.4 | 5.8 | 6.7 |
| 14 years | 2.6 | 3.3 | 4.2 | 6.1 |
| 15 years | 1.9 | 2.7 | 3.1 | 4.4 |
| 16 years | 1.7 | 1.3 | 2.9 | 3.3 |
| 17 years | 0.7 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 2.2 |
| 18 years | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| 19 years | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| 20+ years | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.2 |
| Missing data | — | — | — | — |
| Race/Ethnicity (%) | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska Native/American Indian | 60.2 | 62.9 | 64.9 | 64.3 |
| Asian | 1.3 | 0.3 | 1.0 | 0.8 |
| Black (non-Hispanic) | 9.9 | 9.3 | 8.1 | 8.8 |
| Native Hawaiian/other Pacific Islander | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Hispanic (of any race) | 2.2 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 0.3 |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 24.1 | 26.1 | 25.1 | 24.9 |
| Two or more races | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Unknown | 2.3 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.9 |
| Missing data | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
6 There is no Federal definition for a child waiting to be adopted. The definition used in the table above includes children who have a goal of adoption and/or whose parental rights have been terminated. It excludes children 16 years old and older whose parental rights have been terminated and who have a goal of emancipation. A State's own definition may differ from that used here. Furthermore, some numbers in this table may be lower than the numbers reported in the prior Child Welfare Outcomes reports. Only children with terminations prior to the end of the fiscal year of interest are included in the current table. Back
E. Characteristics of Children Adopted (AFCARS: Adoption File)
| Adoptions | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total children adopted | 202 | 278 | 230 | 208 |
| Age (%) | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| <1 year | 3.0 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 2.9 |
| 1 year | 6.9 | 8.3 | 10.4 | 5.8 |
| 2 years | 8.9 | 10.8 | 7.4 | 10.1 |
| 3 years | 9.4 | 14.0 | 12.2 | 7.2 |
| 4 years | 6.4 | 7.9 | 12.2 | 12.5 |
| 5 years | 5.9 | 10.1 | 10.4 | 8.2 |
| 6 years | 10.4 | 7.2 | 3.9 | 5.8 |
| 7 years | 7.4 | 10.1 | 3.9 | 7.7 |
| 8 years | 8.4 | 7.6 | 10.4 | 6.7 |
| 9 years | 7.9 | 4.7 | 5.2 | 9.6 |
| 10 years | 10.4 | 4.7 | 4.8 | 7.2 |
| 11 years | 6.4 | 5.4 | 7.8 | 3.8 |
| 12 years | 3.5 | 3.2 | 5.2 | 3.8 |
| 13 years | 2.5 | 2.2 | 2.6 | 1.9 |
| 14 years | 1.5 | 1.1 | 1.7 | 2.9 |
| 15 years | 0.5 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 1.4 |
| 16 years | 0.0 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 1.4 |
| 17 years | 0.5 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.5 |
| 18 years | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 |
| 19 years | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 20+ years | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Missing data | — | — | — | — |
| Race/Ethnicity (%) | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska Native/American Indian | 36.6 | 35.6 | 48.3 | 61.1 |
| Asian | 0.5 | 0.0 | 1.3 | 1.9 |
| Black (non-Hispanic) | 3.5 | 5.0 | 7.0 | 5.3 |
| Native Hawaiian/other Pacific Islander | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Hispanic (of any race) | 8.9 | 7.6 | 3.9 | 6.3 |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 30.2 | 25.5 | 34.8 | 25.5 |
| Two or more races | 19.8 | 26.3 | 4.8 | 0.0 |
| Unknown | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Missing data | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Alaska [ Outcomes Data ]
1. Reduce Recurrence of Child Abuse and/or Neglect (NCANDS)
| 1.1 Recurrence of Maltreatment Within 6 Months (%) | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Children without a recurrence | — | — | — | — |
| Children with one or more recurrences | — | — | — | — |
| Number | — | — | — | — |
2. Reduce the Incidence of Child Abuse and/or Neglect in Foster Care (NCANDS and AFCARS: Foster Care File, Jan.-Sept.)
| 2.1 Maltreatment in Foster Care (%) | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Children maltreated while in foster care | — | — | — | — |
| Children not maltreated while in foster care | — | — | — | — |
| Number | — | — | — | — |
3. Increase Permanency for Children in Foster Care (AFCARS: Foster Care File)
| 3.1 Exits of Children from Foster Care (%) | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adoption | 18.1 | 25.5 | 25.7 | 22.5 |
| Guardianship | 8.7 | 6.0 | 5.6 | 4.1 |
| Reunification | 67.8 | 64.6 | 62.9 | 66.7 |
| Other | 5.4 | 3.8 | 3.2 | 3.5 |
| Missing data | 0.1 | 0.1 | 2.6 | 3.2 |
| Number | 913 | 996 | 844 | 781 |
| 3.2 Exits of Children with a Diagnosed Disability (%) | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adoption | — | — | — | — |
| Guardianship | — | — | — | — |
| Reunification | — | — | — | — |
| Other | — | — | — | — |
| Missing data | — | — | — | — |
| Number | — | — | — | — |
| 3.3 Exits of Children Older than Age 12 at Entry into Foster Care (%) | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adoption | 0.6 | 1.7 | 2.3 | 5.2 |
| Guardianship | 11.0 | 9.3 | 10.2 | 6.2 |
| Reunification | 62.6 | 67.8 | 75.0 | 63.9 |
| Other | 25.8 | 21.2 | 10.9 | 21.6 |
| Missing data | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.6 | 3.1 |
| Number | 155 | 118 | 128 | 97 |
| 3.4 Exits to Emancipation (%) | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Children age 12 or younger at entry | 18.8 | 27.3 | 50.0 | 22.2 |
| Children older than 12 at entry | 81.3 | 72.7 | 50.0 | 77.8 |
| Missing data | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Number | 48 | 33 | 26 | 27 |
| 3.5 Exits by Race/Ethnicity (%) | Alaska Native/Am. In. | Asian | Black (non-Hispanic) | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | |
| Adoption | 17.9 | 26.7 | 24.7 | 25.9 | 0.0 | 40.0 | 25.0 | 11.1 | 13.5 | 18.9 | 24.7 | 12.9 |
| Guardianship | 7.0 | 5.5 | 6.1 | 3.9 | 25.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 11.1 | 5.4 | 10.8 | 8.2 | 1.2 |
| Reunification | 69.9 | 64.9 | 61.2 | 62.6 | 75.0 | 60.0 | 75.0 | 66.7 | 73.0 | 68.5 | 63.5 | 80.0 |
| Other | 4.9 | 2.9 | 3.6 | 2.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 11.1 | 8.1 | 1.8 | 3.5 | 3.5 |
| Missing data | 0.2 | 0.0 | 4.4 | 5.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.4 |
| Number | 469 | 587 | 474 | 436 | 4 | 15 | 4 | 9 | 74 | 111 | 85 | 85 |
| |
||||||||||||
| Native Hawaiian/Other Pac. Is. | Hispanic (of any race) | White (non-Hispanic) | ||||||||||
| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | |
| Adoption | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 18.2 | 50.0 | 35.7 | 0.0 | 19.1 | 24.2 | 28.2 | 23.0 |
| Guardianship | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 13.3 | 6.6 | 4.0 | 5.9 |
| Reunification | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 81.8 | 50.0 | 64.3 | 100.0 | 61.5 | 62.3 | 65.1 | 65.3 |
| Other | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 6.1 | 6.6 | 2.4 | 5.4 |
| Missing data | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.5 |
| Number | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 16 | 14 | 10 | 309 | 244 | 252 | 222 |
| |
||||||||||||
| Unable to Determine | Two or more Races | Missing Data | ||||||||||
| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | |
| Adoption | 22.9 | 13.0 | 13.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Guardianship | 0.0 | 0.0 | 6.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Reunification | 74.3 | 73.9 | 73.3 | 100.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Other | 2.9 | 13.0 | 6.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Missing data | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Number | 35 | 23 | 15 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
4. Reduce Time to Reunification Without Increasing Re-entry (AFCARS Foster Care File)
| 4.1 Time to Reunification (%) | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Less than 12 mos. | 58.0 | 62.4 | 53.3 | 58.7 |
| At least 12 mos., but less than 24 mos. | 26.0 | 20.8 | 27.1 | 29.8 |
| At least 24 mos., but less than 36 mos. | 10.2 | 7.8 | 12.2 | 7.9 |
| At least 36 mos., but less than 48 mos. | 1.8 | 5.8 | 4.1 | 1.9 |
| 48 or more mos. | 3.2 | 2.8 | 2.6 | 1.3 |
| Missing data | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.4 |
| Number | 619 | 643 | 531 | 521 |
| 4.2 Children Re-entering Foster Care (%) | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Children entering care for the first time | 81.9 | 81.7 | 80.9 | 79.9 |
| Children re-entering care within 12 mos. of a prior episode | 4.7 | 5.3 | 3.6 | 5.0 |
| Children re-entering care more than 12 mos. after a prior episode | 7.9 | 7.8 | 10.7 | 12.7 |
| Missing data | 5.4 | 5.2 | 4.9 | 2.4 |
| Number | 1,096 | 999 | 1,068 | 943 |
5. Reduce Time in Foster Care to Adoption (AFCARS Foster Care File)
| 5.1 Time to Adoption (%) | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Less than 12 mos. | 6.1 | 2.0 | 1.4 | 6.8 |
| At least 12 mos., but less than 24 mos. | 15.8 | 18.9 | 16.6 | 17.0 |
| At least 24 mos., but less than 36 mos. | 25.5 | 26.8 | 30.4 | 29.5 |
| At least 36 mos., but less than 48 mos. | 20.6 | 32.7 | 26.7 | 21.6 |
| 48 or more mos. | 32.1 | 17.7 | 21.7 | 25.0 |
| Missing data | 0.0 | 2.0 | 3.2 | 0.0 |
| Number | 165 | 254 | 217 | 176 |
6. Increase Placement Stability (AFCARS Foster Care File)
| 6.1 Number of Placements by Time in Care (%) | In Care less than 12 Months | In Care at Least 12 Months but less than 24 Months | In Care for 24 Months or Longer | Missing Time in Care | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | |
| Children with 2 or fewer placements | 71.1 | 75.8 | 73.6 | 74.2 | 45.0 | 39.1 | 42.2 | 42.0 | 25.2 | 25.1 | 25.3 | 18.9 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 |
| Children with 3 or more placements | 28.9 | 24.2 | 26.4 | 25.8 | 55.0 | 60.9 | 57.8 | 58.0 | 74.8 | 74.9 | 74.7 | 81.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Number | 1,251 | 1,160 | 1,165 | 1,083 | 797 | 717 | 675 | 709 | 1,050 | 1,103 | 1,058 | 1,020 | 8 | 9 | 18 | 9 |
7. Reduce Placements of Young Children in Group Homes or Institutions (AFCARS Foster Care File)
| 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 (%) | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group homes | 3.3 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 2.9 |
| Institutions | 1.4 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 0.4 |
| Other settings | 95.3 | 96.1 | 95.5 | 96.7 |
| Missing data | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Number | 860 | 864 | 862 | 735 |
Alaska [ State Comment ]
Tammy Sandoval, Deputy Commissioner
Office of Children's Services
Department of Health and Social Services
The following are Alaska's comments on the State's data presented in Child Welfare Outcomes 2003: Report to Congress.
Section B (Child Maltreatment Victims): The large increase in child victims in 2001 is due in part to a change in Alaska's methodology for counting child maltreatment victims. Beginning in 2001, children were counted once for each report disposed. In prior years children were counted only once regardless of the number of reports disposed.
Also, data entry for completed investigations often lagged behind actual dispositions. During 2001, a clean-up effort to officially close and enter data for old investigations increased the numbers reported for that year. Twenty-three percent of the investigations reported in 2001 were for reports received prior to July 2000. As a result, data based on the number of investigations disposed during the year, including the number of victims, are significantly overstated in 2001 and understated in previous years. Finally, 90 percent fewer old investigations were included in 2002 compared to 2001, influencing the decline in reports and victims between those years. In addition, this decline reflects a decrease in both the number of reports received and the number of investigations assigned during the year that were completed in that year and entered into our MIS by the time the NCANDS report was generated. The decline in the number of reports received reflects changes in practice to improve consistency in the definition and entry of reports as well as any actual decline in calls.
Section E (Children Adopted): Fewer adoptions were reported in the foster care files (outcome measure 5.1) compared to the adoption file (Section E) due to delays in data entry (in the foster care file). Adoption file data (Section E), which are reported from another source, are more reliable.
Outcome measures 1.1 (Recurrence of Maltreatment) and 2.1 (Maltreatment in Foster Care): These measures are based on data from the NCANDS Child File. Alaska's MIS during this report period could not produce this file. For 2003, alternative data sources developed for the CFSR show a rate of 17.6 percent for measure 1.1 and 1.35 percent for measure 2.1.
Outcome measure 3.2 (Exits of Disabled Children): Data for measure 3.2 were not available from our MIS.
Alaska implemented the first phase of its SACWIS in September 2004. In subsequent years, the data for the various measures will be available as capacity is built in the new system.
Alaska [ Federal Comment ]
PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT
The following is a discussion of Alaska's performance on the national outcomes established for the Report to Congress. The discussion focuses on the State's performance in 2003 and on change in performance over time. Change over time was determined by calculating the percent change in performance from 2000 to 2003. A percent change that was less than 5.0 in either direction (i.e., positive or negative) was considered to represent "no change in performance."
Outcome 1. Reduce recurrence of child abuse and/or neglect
Alaska's performance with regard to achieving outcome 1 cannot be assessed because the State does not provide data to the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS) for calculating the measure for this outcome (measure 1.1). To ensure consistency across States, the Report to Congress presents only data submitted through NCANDS.
Alaska provided sufficient data to NCANDS to calculate the number of child victims in the State in 2003 (7,996). The child victim rate in 2003 was 42.2 child victims per 1,000 children in the State's child population, which not only exceeds the median of 10.6 child victims per 1,000 children in the population but is the highest child victim rate in the nation.
Outcome 2. Reduce the incidence of child abuse and/or neglect in foster care
Alaska's performance with regard to achieving outcome 2 cannot be assessed because the State does not provide data to NCANDS for calculating the measure (measure 2.1) for this outcome. To ensure consistency across States, the Report to Congress presents only data submitted through NCANDS.
Outcome 3. Increase permanency for children in foster care
In 2003, 93.3 percent of children exiting foster care in Alaska were discharged to a permanent home (measure 3.1), which exceeds the national median of 86.3 percent. Also, 75.3 percent of the children exiting foster care who were older than age 12 when they entered foster care were discharged to a permanent home (measure 3.3), which exceeds the national median of 72.2 percent. Alaska does not report data relevant to permanency for children exiting foster care who have a diagnosed disability (measure 3.2).
In 2003, 22.2 percent of the children reported as emancipated from foster care (either through legal action or because they reach the age of majority) entered foster care when they were age 12 or younger (measure 3.4), which is less than the national median of 29.6 percent. Although performance on this measure declined from 2000 to 2003 (+18.1 percent change), there were fewer children reported as emancipated from foster care in 2003 (27 children) compared to 2000 (48 children).
There were no differences in exits to permanency as a function of children's race or ethnicity (measure 3.5). (This was assessed only when a particular race or ethnicity accounted for at least 10 percent of the exits from foster care.) Alaska Native/American Indian children exiting foster care were as likely to be discharged to a permanent home (92.4 percent) as were White (non-Hispanic) children exiting foster care (94.2 percent). However, the percent of Alaska Native/American Indian children in the foster care population in 2003 (63.7 percent) was more than three times larger than the percent of Alaska Native/American Indian children in the State's child population (19.8 percent).
Outcome 4. Reduce time in foster care to reunification without increasing re-entry
In 2003, 58.7 percent of reunifications occurred within 12 months of a child's entry into foster care (measure 4.1), which is less than the national median of 72.0 percent. Performance with regard to this measure did not change from 2000 to 2003.
Although Alaska had a relatively low percentage of reunifications occurring within 12 months of a child's entry into foster care, the State also had a relatively low percentage of children entering foster care who were re-entering within 12 months of a prior episode (measure 4.2). In 2003, 5.0 percent of the children entering foster care were re-entering within 12 months of a prior foster care episode, which is less than the national median of 9.5 percent. However, performance on this measure declined from 2000 to 2003 (+6.4 percent change). In addition, the percent of children entering foster care who were re-entering more than 12 months after a prior foster care episode increased considerably (+60.8 percent change) from 2000 (7.9 percent) to 2003 (12.7 percent). Consequently, 17.7 percent of the children entering foster care in 2003 had been in foster care at a prior time.
Outcome 5. Reduce time in foster care to adoption
In 2003, 23.8 percent of the adoptions in Alaska occurred within 24 months of a child's entry into foster care (measure 5.1), which is about equal to the national median of 23.9 percent. However, there is a discrepancy between the number of children reported to the Federal Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) Adoption File as having a finalized adoption in 2003 (208 children) and the number of children reported to the AFCARS Foster Care File as discharged in 2003 to a finalized adoption (176 children). Because the data on timeliness of adoptions do not include information pertaining to 15 percent of the State's adoptions, performance on outcome 5 cannot be fully assessed.
Outcome 6. Increase placement stability
In 2003, 74.2 percent of the children in foster care in Alaska for less than 12 months experienced no more than two placement settings, which is less than the national median of 84.2 percent (measure 6.1). In addition, only 42.0 percent of the children in foster care in 2003 for at least 12 months, but less than 24 months, experienced two or fewer placement settings, which is less than the national median of 59.1 percent.
Outcome 7. Reduce placements of young children in group homes and institutions
In 2003, only 3.3 percent of the children entering foster care in the State who were age 12 or younger were placed in a group home or institution (measure 7.1), which is less than the national median of 8.3 percent. Performance on this measure improved from 2000 to 2003 (-29.8 percent change).
