New York

Context Data | Outcomes Data | Federal Comment

New York [ Context Data ]

A. Context Statistics

General Child Population (Census Bureau)	2000	2001	2002	2003
Total children under 18 years	4,683,714	4,633,310	4,576,823	4,532,748
Race/Ethnicity (%)1
Alaska Native/American Indian	0.4	0.4	0.3	0.3
Asian	5.0	5.4	5.5	5.7
Black (non-Hispanic)	17.8	18.2	17.7	17.7
Native Hawaiian/other Pacific Islander	0.0	<.1	<.1	<.1
Hispanic (of any race)	19.0	19.6	19.0	19.5
White (non-Hispanic)	54.6	54.6	55.8	55.0
Two or more races	2.6	1.9	1.7	1.7
% Child population in poverty	19.0	20.0	20.5	19.9

Child Welfare Summary	2000	2001	2002	2003
Child maltreatment victims2	74,065	77,860	79,049	75,784
Children in foster care on 9/30	47,118	43,365	40,753	37,067
Children adopted	4,234	3,935	3,791	3,862

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	230,449	49.2 per 1,000	251,164	54.2 per 1,000	262,643	57.4 per 1,000	253,866	56.0 per 1,000
Total child maltreatment victims3	74,065	15.8 per 1,000	77,860	16.8 per 1,000	79,049	17.3 per 1,000	75,784	16.7 per 1,000
Child fatalities	79	1.7 per 100,000	78	1.7 per 100,000	68	1.5 per 100,000	62	1.4 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	9.1	8.8	8.3	8.3
1-5 years	27.4	27.7	27.3	27.3
6-10 years	30.6	30.8	29.3	28.8
11-15 years	27.0	27.1	28.5	28.9
16+ years	5.8	5.6	6.4	6.7
Unknown	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1
Number	74,065	77,860	79,049	75,784

Race/Ethnicity of Child Victims (%)4	2000	2001	2002	2003
Alaska Native/American Indian	0.3	0.4	0.4	0.3
Asian	0.8	0.8	0.4	0.8
Black (non-Hispanic)	32.3	31.3	29.0	27.5
Native Hawaiian/other Pacific Islander	N/A	N/A	N/A	0.0
Hispanic (of any race)	18.0	18.4	18.9	18.5
White (non-Hispanic)	41.5	42.2	41.2	41.0
Two or more races	0.0	0.0	2.6	2.0
Unknown	7.1	6.8	7.4	9.7
Number	74,065	77,860	79,049	75,784

Maltreatment Types of Child Victims (%)5	2000	2001	2002	2003
Emotional abuse	1.1	1.1	1.0	0.9
Medical neglect	3.7	3.6	3.7	3.6
Neglect	89.5	90.0	90.1	90.4
Physical abuse	13.9	13.0	12.9	12.8
Sexual abuse	4.1	3.8	4.0	4.0
Unknown/missing data	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Other	22.8	24.3	24.5	25.1
Number	74,065	77,860	79,049	75,784

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	50,843	46,928	43,228	40,322	16,605	15,135	15,432	13,598	20,337	18,703	17,970	16,905	47,118	43,365	40,753	37,067
Median length of stay (months)	28.6	30.3	30.3	28.8	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	22.4	23.3	21.7	22.6	29.9	30.9	28.5	28.0

	In Foster Care on 10/1 FY				Entered Foster Care in FY				Exited Foster Care in FY				In Foster Care on 9/30 FY
Age (%)	2000	2001	2002	2003	2000	2001	2002	2003	2000	2001	2002	2003	2000	2001	2002	2003
<1 year	3.4	3.1	2.9	2.9	14.8	14.0	13.4	13.1	3.0	3.1	3.2	2.7	3.2	2.9	2.9	2.9
1 year	4.9	4.7	4.4	4.2	5.7	5.5	5.1	4.9	3.5	3.5	3.2	3.2	4.7	4.4	4.2	4.1
2 years	5.4	5.3	5.0	4.7	4.5	4.6	4.4	4.3	4.4	4.8	4.4	4.0	5.3	5.1	4.7	4.5
3 years	5.2	5.4	4.9	4.9	4.1	4.3	4.2	3.8	4.6	5.3	4.9	4.8	5.4	5.0	4.9	4.6
4 years	5.3	5.0	4.9	4.7	4.0	3.8	3.7	3.4	4.7	5.0	4.5	4.5	5.0	5.0	4.7	4.6
5 years	5.4	4.9	4.6	4.5	3.8	3.6	3.8	3.6	4.9	4.6	4.3	4.4	4.9	4.7	4.6	4.2
6 years	5.4	5.1	4.6	4.5	4.1	4.2	3.7	3.3	5.1	4.6	4.2	4.2	5.1	4.7	4.5	4.2
7 years	5.5	5.2	4.9	4.4	4.2	4.2	3.7	3.4	4.9	4.7	4.3	4.1	5.2	5.0	4.4	4.2
8 years	5.5	5.3	4.9	4.7	3.8	4.1	3.8	3.3	4.7	4.7	4.2	4.1	5.4	5.0	4.7	4.1
9 years	5.5	5.3	4.9	4.8	4.0	3.8	3.9	3.6	4.9	4.8	4.3	4.4	5.3	5.1	4.8	4.4
10 years	5.2	5.2	4.9	4.8	3.8	3.5	3.8	3.4	4.5	4.5	4.3	4.1	5.2	5.0	4.8	4.6
11 years	5.0	5.0	4.9	4.8	3.9	4.2	4.0	3.7	4.4	4.5	4.2	3.9	5.0	5.0	4.8	4.7
12 years	5.0	4.9	5.1	5.0	4.9	5.0	5.2	4.8	4.3	4.4	4.6	4.0	5.0	5.2	5.0	4.9
13 years	5.1	5.4	5.4	5.5	6.7	7.0	7.3	7.4	4.7	4.7	4.8	4.9	5.5	5.5	5.6	5.7
14 years	5.4	5.8	6.3	6.4	9.3	9.1	9.6	10.0	5.7	5.8	6.3	6.2	5.9	6.3	6.5	6.7
15 years	6.1	6.5	7.1	7.5	11.1	11.0	11.3	12.4	7.6	7.5	7.5	7.8	6.6	7.0	7.6	7.8
16 years	5.9	6.0	7.0	7.4	5.1	5.7	6.4	8.3	8.3	7.9	8.6	9.0	6.1	6.7	7.4	8.4
17 years	4.7	4.8	5.2	5.9	1.9	2.1	2.4	3.1	5.5	5.1	6.2	6.7	4.6	4.9	5.9	6.6
18 years	2.9	3.2	3.6	3.6	0.1	0.1	0.2	<.1	4.4	4.4	4.3	4.6	3.0	3.4	3.5	4.1
19 years	1.9	2.1	2.6	2.6	<.1	<.1	<.1	<.1	1.9	1.7	2.2	2.2	2.0	2.4	2.6	2.6
20 years	1.4	1.6	1.8	2.0	<.1	0.0	<.1	<.1	2.9	3.3	4.9	5.3	1.4	1.7	1.9	2.0
Missing data	<.1	0.1	<.1	<.1	<.1	<.1	<.1	0.0	1.2	1.2	0.4	0.5	<.1	0.2	<.1	<.1

	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	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.3	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.2
Asian	0.3	0.3	0.4	0.4	0.6	0.8	0.6	0.6	0.5	0.5	0.6	0.5	0.3	0.4	0.4	0.4
Black (non-Hispanic)	44.9	44.6	46.6	47.5	38.8	43.0	44.7	41.9	40.3	40.9	42.0	43.5	44.7	45.7	47.9	47.2
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)	15.3	15.7	16.9	17.8	15.8	19.7	19.9	20.5	14.7	17.0	17.5	17.6	15.7	16.5	17.7	18.9
White (non-Hispanic)	13.9	15.0	16.5	17.5	25.0	27.7	26.8	27.8	20.3	21.5	22.2	23.3	15.1	16.6	17.8	18.6
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	25.4	24.1	19.5	16.6	19.4	8.5	7.5	8.9	23.9	19.8	17.4	14.8	24.0	20.5	15.9	14.6
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	15,833	14,635	13,926	12,742
Numbers of waiting children whose parents' rights have been terminated	8,068	7,630	7,806	7,299

Age (%)	2000	2001	2002	2003
<1 year	0.6	0.6	0.6	0.7
1 year	3.7	3.3	3.3	3.6
2 years	6.3	6.2	5.8	5.7
3 years	6.9	6.8	6.6	6.4
4 years	6.8	6.9	6.6	6.5
5 years	6.7	6.7	6.9	6.3
6 years	6.9	6.4	6.6	6.4
7 years	7.1	6.9	6.1	6.1
8 years	7.2	7.1	6.9	5.9
9 years	7.4	7.1	6.8	6.6
10 years	7.3	7.0	6.9	6.7
11 years	6.8	6.9	6.8	6.7
12 years	6.6	6.6	6.7	6.8
13 years	6.2	6.2	6.5	6.6
14 years	5.2	5.9	6.0	6.1
15 years	4.1	4.7	5.3	5.7
16 years	1.8	2.2	2.5	3.4
17 years	1.1	1.3	1.7	2.0
18 years	0.6	0.7	0.8	1.0
19 years	0.3	0.3	0.4	0.4
20+ years	0.1	0.2	0.2	0.2
Missing data	—	—	—	—

Race/Ethnicity (%)	2000	2001	2002	2003
Alaska Native/American Indian	<.1	<.1	0.1	0.1
Asian	0.2	0.2	0.3	0.3
Black (non-Hispanic)	49.1	48.4	49.6	49.3
Native Hawaiian/other Pacific Islander	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Hispanic (of any race)	15.3	15.4	16.1	17.3
White (non-Hispanic)	10.2	10.8	12.6	13.2
Two or more races	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Unknown	25.1	25.1	21.3	19.7
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	4,234	3,935	3,791	3,862

Age (%)	2000	2001	2002	2003
<1 year	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.4
1 year	2.0	1.8	2.2	1.7
2 years	6.4	6.9	6.3	6.1
3 years	7.8	9.4	9.1	8.3
4 years	7.5	8.7	8.4	8.8
5 years	7.8	7.3	7.0	8.0
6 years	8.1	7.5	7.4	7.8
7 years	7.6	7.4	7.4	7.8
8 years	7.4	7.5	7.9	6.6
9 years	7.7	7.4	7.1	7.6
10 years	7.2	6.9	7.4	6.8
11 years	7.0	6.9	6.6	6.1
12 years	6.1	6.5	6.2	5.7
13 years	5.3	4.9	4.6	5.0
14 years	4.5	3.9	4.3	4.3
15 years	2.7	2.6	3.1	3.6
16 years	1.9	1.7	2.0	2.5
17 years	1.3	1.1	1.3	1.4
18 years	0.7	0.7	0.8	0.7
19 years	0.3	0.3	0.2	0.4
20+ years	0.1	0.1	0.2	0.3
Missing data	—	—	—	—

Race/Ethnicity (%)	2000	2001	2002	2003
Alaska Native/American Indian	<.1	0.2	<.1	0.1
Asian	0.2	0.1	0.2	0.3
Black (non-Hispanic)	46.5	46.3	45.4	47.0
Native Hawaiian/other Pacific Islander	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Hispanic (of any race)	12.5	13.9	14.6	14.4
White (non-Hispanic)	11.8	13.0	15.0	16.2
Two or more races	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Unknown	28.9	26.5	24.7	21.9
Missing data	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0

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New York [ 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	87.1	85.9	86.3	85.7
Children with one or more recurrences	12.9	14.1	13.7	14.3
Number	32,876	34,768	34,528	31,504

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	0.77	0.98	0.87	0.65
Children not maltreated while in foster care	99.23	99.02	99.13	99.35
Number	62,873	57,405	54,375	49,680

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	20.8	21.0	21.1	22.8
Guardianship	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Reunification	63.5	65.1	63.1	61.2
Other	13.4	11.7	13.5	13.9
Missing data	2.3	2.2	2.2	2.0
Number	20,337	18,703	17,970	16,905

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	0.5	0.7	0.7	0.9
Guardianship	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Reunification	66.6	70.9	68.8	68.8
Other	29.4	25.3	27.1	27.3
Missing data	3.5	3.1	3.4	3.1
Number	5,743	5,275	5,519	5,595

3.4 Exits to Emancipation (%)	2000	2001	2002	2003
Children age 12 or younger at entry	46.0	44.6	44.5	39.6
Children older than 12 at entry	53.9	55.4	53.7	58.6
Missing data	0.1	0.0	1.8	1.8
Number	1,568	1,324	1,498	1,471

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	6.6	10.2	1.8	11.4	8.6	5.3	8.5	14.1	24.0	23.8	22.8	24.7
Guardianship	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Reunification	86.9	83.1	85.5	77.3	74.2	80.9	67.0	71.7	60.1	61.4	60.4	58.2
Other	6.6	5.1	10.9	9.1	16.1	11.7	21.7	13.0	13.7	12.8	14.6	15.2
Missing data	0.0	1.7	1.8	2.3	1.1	2.1	2.8	1.1	2.2	2.0	2.1	1.9
Number	61	59	55	44	93	94	106	92	8,201	7,643	7,548	7,354
	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	17.8	17.1	17.6	18.8	12.0	12.7	14.2	15.8
Guardianship	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Reunification	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	67.5	70.8	66.4	64.3	74.6	75.2	74.1	72.5
Other	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	12.0	10.0	13.2	14.2	11.1	10.1	10.0	10.1
Missing data	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	2.6	2.2	2.7	2.8	2.3	2.0	1.8	1.5
Number	0	0	0	0	2,983	3,180	3,140	2,972	4,138	4,029	3,997	3,936
	Unable to Determine				Two or more Races				Missing Data
	2000	2001	2002	2003	2000	2001	2002	2003	2000	2001	2002	2003
Adoption	25.1	28.1	30.0	33.7	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Guardianship	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Reunification	56.9	56.4	52.0	48.2	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Other	15.8	12.8	15.5	15.9	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Missing data	2.2	2.7	2.5	2.2	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Number	4,861	3,698	3,124	2,507	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.	49.7	48.9	53.3	52.1
At least 12 mos., but less than 24 mos.	20.5	20.0	19.9	21.5
At least 24 mos., but less than 36 mos.	11.2	11.9	9.4	10.4
At least 36 mos., but less than 48 mos.	6.6	7.3	6.4	6.2
48 or more mos.	10.4	10.4	10.7	9.4
Missing data	1.6	1.6	0.3	0.4
Number	12,914	12,181	11,347	10,353

4.2 Children Re-entering Foster Care (%)	2000	2001	2002	2003
Children entering care for the first time	78.5	76.7	76.2	74.8
Children re-entering care within 12 mos. of a prior episode	9.3	10.6	10.2	10.7
Children re-entering care more than 12 mos. after a prior episode	12.2	12.6	13.6	14.5
Missing data	<.1	<.1	<.1	<.1
Number	16,605	15,135	15,432	13,598

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.	0.7	1.3	0.9	0.6
At least 12 mos., but less than 24 mos.	3.9	4.5	4.3	4.5
At least 24 mos., but less than 36 mos.	11.4	12.5	13.6	12.8
At least 36 mos., but less than 48 mos.	15.8	17.8	17.5	16.4
48 or more mos.	68.2	64.0	63.5	65.6
Missing data	<.1	0.0	0.2	<.1
Number	4,230	3,926	3,790	3,858

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	90.8	91.6	91.4	91.3	75.5	75.3	76.3	75.2	52.2	52.0	51.7	50.2	96.3	95.8	100.0	100.0
Children with 3 or more placements	9.2	8.4	8.6	8.7	24.0	24.1	23.7	24.8	46.7	46.7	48.3	49.8	3.7	4.2	0.0	0.0
Number	18,660	17,120	17,593	15,650	11,607	10,360	9,971	9,689	36,916	34,347	31,032	28,517	269	240	64	64

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	1.5	1.6	1.9	1.9
Institutions	6.3	7.1	6.4	6.9
Other settings	92.2	91.2	91.1	91.2
Missing data	<.1	<.1	0.5	0.0
Number	10,791	9,699	9,551	7,873

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New York [ Federal Comment ]

PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT

The following is a discussion of New York'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

In 2003, 14.3 percent of the children in New York who were victims of maltreatment during the first 6 months of the year experienced another maltreatment incident within a 6-month period (measure 1.1). This percent not only exceeds the national median of 7.1 percent, but also represents a decline in performance on the measure from 2000 to 2003 (+10.8 percent change).

New York's relatively high percentage of children experiencing maltreatment recurrence in 2003 corresponds to a relatively high child maltreatment victim rate. In 2003, the rate of child maltreatment victims was 16.7 child victims per 1,000 children in the State population, which exceeds the national median of 10.6 child victims per 1,000 children in the population. The 2003 rate also represents an increase in the child victim rate from 2000, when the rate was 15.8 child victims per 1,000 children in the State population.

Outcome 2. Reduce the incidence of child abuse and/or neglect in foster care

In 2003, 0.65 percent of the children in foster care in New York were found to be maltreated by a foster parent or facility staff member (measure 2.1). Although this percent exceeds the national median of 0.39 percent, it represents an improvement in performance on the measure from 2000 to 2003 (-15.6 percent change).

Outcome 3. Increase permanency for children in foster care

In 2003, 84.0 percent of children exiting foster care in New York (measure 3.1) were discharged to a permanent home, which is less than the national median of 86.3 percent. Also, 69.7 percent of the children exiting foster care who were older than age 12 when they entered foster care (measure 3.3) were discharged to a permanent home, which is less than the national median of 72.2 percent. New York does not provide data for the data element pertaining to a diagnosed disability (measure 3.2).

With regard to ensuring that children emancipated from foster care (either through legal action or because they reach the age of majority) do not spend most of their formative years in foster care, in 2003, 39.6 percent of the children reported as emancipated from foster care entered foster care when they were age 12 or younger (measure 3.4). Although this percent exceeds the national median of 29.6 percent, it represents an improvement in performance on this measure from 2000 to 2003 (-13.9 percent change).

Many of the children who exit foster care at age 18 or older appear to have discharge reasons other than emancipation. In 2003, for example, 2,046 children exiting foster care were age 18 or older at the time of exit. However, only 1,471 children were reported as exiting to emancipation.

There were some differences with regard to 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.) White (non-Hispanic) children exiting foster care were more likely to be discharged to a permanent home (88.3 percent) than were Black (non-Hispanic) children exiting foster care (82.9 percent) or Hispanic children exiting foster care (83.1 percent). However, in 2003, 15 percent of the children exiting foster care were reported as "Race Unable to Determine." The percent of Black (non-Hispanic) children in the foster care population (47.2 percent) exceeded the percent of Black (non-Hispanic) children in the State's child population (17.7 percent).

Outcome 4. Reduce time in foster care to reunification without increasing re-entry

In 2003, 52.1 percent of all 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 on this measure did not change from 2000 to 2003. In addition, 15.6 percent of reunifications occurred after the child had been in foster care for at least 36 months, which exceeds the national median of 3.5 percent.

With regard to re-entries into foster care, in 2003, 10.7 percent of the children entering foster care in New York were re-entering within 12 months of a prior episode (measure 4.2). This percent not only exceeds the national median of 9.5 percent, but represents a decline in performance from 2000 to 2003 (+15.1 percent change). Also in 2003, 14.5 percent of the children entering foster care in 2003 were entering more than 12 months after a prior foster care episode. Consequently, 25.2 percent of all 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, only 5.1 percent of finalized adoptions in New York occurred within 24 months of a child's entry into foster care (measure 5.1). Although this percent is far less than the national median of 23.9 percent, it represents an improvement in performance from 2000 to 2003 (+10.9 percent change).

Outcome 6. Increase placement stability

In 2003, 91.3 percent of the children in foster care in New York who were in care for less than 12 months experienced no more than two placement settings (measure 6.1), which exceeds the national median of 84.2 percent. Also in 2003, 75.2 percent of the children in foster care for at least 12 months, but less than 24 months, experienced no more than two placement settings, which exceeds the national median of 59.1 percent.

Outcome 7. Reduce placements of young children in group homes and institutions

In 2003, 8.8 percent of the children entering foster care who were age 12 or younger were placed in a group home or institution (measure 7.1). Although this percentage is about equal to the national median of 8.3 percent, it represents a decline in performance from 2000 (+12.8 percent change).

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