Vermont

Context Data | Outcomes Data | Federal Comment

Vermont [ Context Data ]

A. Context Statistics

General Child Population (Census Bureau)	2000	2001	2002	2003
Total children under 18 years	146,393	141,480	139,634	137,446
Race/Ethnicity (%)1
Alaska Native/American Indian	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.3
Asian	1.0	1.1	1.1	1.1
Black (non-Hispanic)	0.7	0.8	0.7	0.7
Native Hawaiian/other Pacific Islander	0.0	<.1	<.1	<.1
Hispanic (of any race)	1.2	1.2	1.2	1.2
White (non-Hispanic)	94.7	94.6	95.1	95.1
Two or more races	1.8	1.8	1.6	1.6
% Child population in poverty	16.1	12.2	12.8	10.9

Child Welfare Summary	2000	2001	2002	2003
Child maltreatment victims2	1,347	1,139	1,447	1,233
Children in foster care on 9/30	1,389	1,382	1,526	1,409
Children adopted	117	116	153	167

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	3,609	24.6 per 1,000	3,558	25.1 per 1,000	4,000	28.6 per 1,000	3,632	26.4 per 1,000
Total child maltreatment victims3	1,347	9.2 per 1,000	1,139	8.1 per 1,000	1,447	10.4 per 1,000	1,233	9.0 per 1,000
Child fatalities	1	0.7 per 100,000	1	0.7 per 100,000	1	0.7 per 100,000	1	0.7 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	5.0	6.8	6.2	6.8
1-5 years	22.4	25.8	25.3	26.3
6-10 years	29.9	30.0	29.0	27.7
11-15 years	34.7	29.7	32.3	32.4
16+ years	7.9	7.6	7.2	6.7
Unknown	0.0	0.1	0.0	0.0
Number	1,347	1,139	1,447	1,233

Race/Ethnicity of Child Victims (%)4	2000	2001	2002	2003
Alaska Native/American Indian	0.2	0.1	0.1	0.1
Asian	1.4	0.8	0.2	0.3
Black (non-Hispanic)	1.6	0.7	0.6	0.9
Native Hawaiian/other Pacific Islander	N/A	N/A	N/A	0.0
Hispanic (of any race)	0.4	0.0	0.7	0.4
White (non-Hispanic)	95.8	97.5	95.4	94.6
Two or more races	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.3
Unknown	0.6	0.9	3.0	3.3
Number	1,347	1,139	1,447	1,233

Maltreatment Types of Child Victims (%)5	2000	2001	2002	2003
Emotional abuse	0.9	1.1	0.5	1.2
Medical neglect	2.2	2.3	2.8	3.2
Neglect	38.2	41.9	6.2	4.8
Physical abuse	22.1	20.5	51.8	52.8
Sexual abuse	40.8	37.8	43.4	42.1
Unknown/missing data	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Other	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Number	1,347	1,139	1,447	1,233

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	1,301	1,220	1,351	1,442	735	727	832	725	704	580	657	760	1,389	1,382	1,526	1,409
Median length of stay (months)	19.8	19.2	20.0	15.8	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	15.1	13.2	18.5	13.8	18.1	18.4	16.2	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	2.3	1.4	2.6	2.8	7.8	8.8	8.1	6.5	2.4	2.1	1.8	1.7	2.2	3.0	2.8	1.6
1 year	2.6	2.6	3.0	4.1	2.9	3.3	5.5	5.4	3.0	2.4	3.3	3.4	3.1	2.6	3.9	4.5
2 years	2.6	2.9	3.6	4.0	4.9	3.4	3.6	4.1	3.4	2.8	4.6	3.9	3.0	3.0	3.8	4.3
3 years	2.6	3.4	2.3	2.8	2.9	2.8	3.4	3.6	1.6	3.8	2.1	4.6	3.1	2.6	2.8	3.6
4 years	2.6	2.3	3.1	3.3	3.3	3.6	3.1	3.4	4.0	4.7	3.0	2.6	2.4	3.0	3.1	2.5
5 years	2.3	2.9	2.4	3.0	3.3	2.9	2.6	1.9	2.8	2.6	3.2	3.7	2.7	2.2	2.8	3.1
6 years	2.3	2.0	3.4	2.8	3.4	3.2	3.0	4.8	2.8	2.4	2.7	3.0	2.5	3.0	2.7	3.3
7 years	3.4	2.9	2.5	3.5	2.4	3.2	2.9	2.9	2.0	3.8	2.4	3.0	2.7	2.5	3.4	3.1
8 years	3.4	3.5	2.8	2.6	3.1	2.6	2.3	2.8	3.1	1.7	1.8	3.0	3.4	2.8	2.5	3.4
9 years	3.1	4.0	3.6	3.7	3.5	3.6	3.2	2.9	3.6	3.8	2.3	2.6	4.0	3.8	3.5	2.4
10 years	3.4	3.0	3.8	4.0	2.6	2.3	4.3	4.7	1.6	2.4	3.3	3.2	2.9	3.4	3.9	3.8
11 years	5.1	4.3	3.4	4.2	3.8	2.8	3.2	4.8	2.7	3.1	2.7	4.2	4.0	3.1	4.1	4.5
12 years	5.3	5.7	4.3	3.7	5.3	5.5	5.3	5.4	3.1	3.3	3.7	3.0	5.3	4.6	3.4	5.5
13 years	8.7	7.5	6.6	6.6	10.5	7.4	8.7	8.3	4.8	4.7	5.3	5.1	7.3	6.6	6.5	5.0
14 years	9.3	11.2	8.7	8.0	11.6	11.1	11.8	14.8	7.0	7.6	7.5	8.0	11.0	9.4	8.1	8.4
15 years	14.3	12.0	13.8	13.0	17.0	18.2	14.5	13.7	9.9	12.2	8.5	8.3	12.6	13.7	12.7	12.1
16 years	13.1	15.6	13.3	14.1	8.4	10.3	10.2	7.4	9.9	9.7	10.4	10.5	15.5	13.3	13.6	13.3
17 years	11.8	10.5	14.1	11.9	3.4	5.1	4.2	2.6	14.8	13.3	16.7	14.9	10.2	13.2	11.9	12.5
18 years	1.8	2.0	2.5	2.2	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	16.5	12.2	13.4	10.7	2.0	3.8	4.0	2.8
19 years	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.0	1.4	1.1	0.4	<.1	0.6	0.5	0.1
20 years	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
Missing data	0.0	<.1	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.2	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	<.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	0.3	0.3	0.2	0.1	0.3	0.0	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.0	0.3	0.3	0.4	0.3	0.1	<.1
Asian	0.4	0.3	0.4	0.3	0.7	0.7	0.0	0.0	0.9	0.7	0.2	0.1	0.3	0.4	0.3	0.2
Black (non-Hispanic)	1.5	1.3	2.1	1.7	3.0	3.6	1.2	1.7	2.6	2.9	2.1	1.8	1.9	1.8	1.6	1.6
Native Hawaiian/other Pacific Islander	0.0	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.3	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.1	<.1	0.1	<.1
Hispanic (of any race)	0.7	0.6	0.4	0.8	0.4	0.0	1.3	0.7	0.6	0.0	0.5	0.3	0.6	0.5	0.9	1.1
White (non-Hispanic)	96.8	97.0	96.6	96.5	95.0	95.5	96.3	95.9	95.2	95.9	96.2	96.6	96.6	96.7	96.6	96.2
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	0.2	0.4	0.1	0.2	0.4	0.1	0.4	0.1	0.6	0.3	0.2	0.4	0.1	0.3	0.2	<.1
Missing data	<.1	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.0	0.1	0.7	1.5	0.1	0.2	0.6	0.4	0.0	0.0	0.1	0.7

D. Characteristics of Children "Waiting for Adoption"6 (AFCARS: Foster Care File)

Waiting for Adoption	2000	2001	2002	2003
Total waiting children	397	303	427	374
Numbers of waiting children whose parents' rights have been terminated	232	236	276	289

Age (%)	2000	2001	2002	2003
<1 year	3.8	2.6	5.4	1.6
1 year	7.1	4.3	6.6	9.6
2 years	5.5	5.3	6.6	7.0
3 years	6.3	2.3	5.2	7.5
4 years	4.5	6.6	5.9	4.8
5 years	6.0	3.3	4.7	6.4
6 years	3.8	5.3	3.7	3.7
7 years	4.3	3.0	5.9	5.9
8 years	7.8	4.3	4.0	5.1
9 years	6.3	8.3	5.2	3.5
10 years	4.8	7.3	5.2	4.0
11 years	5.5	5.6	6.6	4.5
12 years	9.1	5.6	4.2	6.7
13 years	6.3	11.6	4.9	3.5
14 years	7.6	7.6	8.2	3.5
15 years	3.5	9.2	6.3	8.6
16 years	3.8	3.0	6.3	5.3
17 years	2.8	4.0	3.5	7.0
18 years	1.3	0.7	1.4	1.9
19 years	0.0	0.3	0.5	0.0
20+ years	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Missing data	—	—	—	—

Race/Ethnicity (%)	2000	2001	2002	2003
Alaska Native/American Indian	0.3	0.3	0.2	0.3
Asian	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Black (non-Hispanic)	2.3	2.0	1.6	1.1
Native Hawaiian/other Pacific Islander	0.0	0.0	0.2	0.0
Hispanic (of any race)	0.5	0.7	1.6	1.9
White (non-Hispanic)	97.0	96.0	96.3	96.0
Two or more races	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Unknown	0.0	1.0	0.0	0.3
Missing data	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.5

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	117	116	153	167

Age (%)	2000	2001	2002	2003
<1 year	0.9	2.6	5.9	0.6
1 year	6.0	6.0	7.8	5.4
2 years	9.4	8.6	15.0	9.6
3 years	6.8	8.6	5.2	10.2
4 years	15.4	8.6	6.5	5.4
5 years	11.1	8.6	7.8	9.6
6 years	7.7	6.9	9.2	6.0
7 years	6.8	8.6	5.2	5.4
8 years	7.7	6.9	3.3	7.8
9 years	5.1	9.5	3.9	8.4
10 years	3.4	1.7	7.8	3.6
11 years	3.4	1.7	5.9	4.8
12 years	2.6	7.8	4.6	4.8
13 years	3.4	6.0	4.6	5.4
14 years	5.1	3.4	3.3	6.6
15 years	4.3	2.6	0.7	3.0
16 years	0.0	0.0	2.0	3.0
17 years	0.9	1.7	1.3	0.6
18 years	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
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	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Asian	0.9	0.0	0.0	0.0
Black (non-Hispanic)	3.4	0.0	5.9	0.6
Native Hawaiian/other Pacific Islander	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Hispanic (of any race)	2.6	0.0	0.0	1.8
White (non-Hispanic)	92.3	94.8	93.5	94.0
Two or more races	0.9	3.4	0.7	3.6
Unknown	0.0	1.7	0.0	0.0
Missing data	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0

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Vermont [ 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	92.1	93.1	94.5	94.5
Children with one or more recurrences	7.9	6.9	5.5	5.5
Number	658	563	668	563

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	0.58	0.33	<.1	<.1
Children not maltreated while in foster care	99.42	99.67	99.95	99.95
Number	1,903	1,806	2,000	1,985

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	14.6	14.7	20.5	20.4
Guardianship	1.8	0.0	2.1	1.1
Reunification	62.9	71.4	62.9	61.6
Other	15.8	10.9	14.3	17.0
Missing data	4.8	3.1	0.2	0.0
Number	704	580	657	760

3.2 Exits of Children with a Diagnosed Disability (%)	2000	2001	2002	2003
Adoption	13.6	17.6	10.0	6.4
Guardianship	4.5	0.0	5.0	2.1
Reunification	40.9	52.9	65.0	53.2
Other	36.4	17.6	20.0	38.3
Missing data	4.5	11.8	0.0	0.0
Number	22	17	20	47

3.3 Exits of Children Older than Age 12 at Entry into Foster Care (%)	2000	2001	2002	2003
Adoption	0.3	0.0	0.9	1.4
Guardianship	2.2	0.0	2.9	0.8
Reunification	68.7	82.7	74.7	69.6
Other	21.3	12.7	21.5	28.1
Missing data	7.5	4.6	0.0	0.0
Number	319	284	340	359

3.4 Exits to Emancipation (%)	2000	2001	2002	2003
Children age 12 or younger at entry	28.6	30.8	21.3	22.7
Children older than 12 at entry	60.0	61.5	78.7	77.3
Missing data	11.4	7.7	0.0	0.0
Number	105	52	89	119

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	0.0	0.0	0.0	50.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	16.7	0.0	21.4	28.6
Guardianship	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	5.6	0.0	0.0	0.0
Reunification	0.0	0.0	100.0	50.0	83.3	100.0	100.0	0.0	61.1	94.1	71.4	57.1
Other	100.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	16.7	0.0	0.0	100.0	11.1	5.9	7.1	14.3
Missing data	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	5.6	0.0	0.0	0.0
Number	1	0	2	2	6	4	1	1	18	17	14	14
	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	100.0	75.0	0.0	0.0	100.0	14.2	15.3	20.9	20.0
Guardianship	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.8	0.0	2.2	1.1
Reunification	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	33.3	0.0	63.4	70.3	62.3	61.7
Other	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	66.7	0.0	15.8	11.2	14.4	17.2
Missing data	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	25.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	4.8	3.2	0.2	0.0
Number	0	0	0	1	4	0	3	2	670	556	632	734
	Unable to Determine				Two or more Races				Missing Data
	2000	2001	2002	2003	2000	2001	2002	2003	2000	2001	2002	2003
Adoption	25.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	100.0	0.0	0.0	<.1
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	50.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	100.0	100.0	0.0
Other	25.0	0.0	0.0	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	4	2	1	3	0	0	0	0	1	1	4	3

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.	62.5	62.6	60.8	70.3
At least 12 mos., but less than 24 mos.	16.0	18.1	17.9	18.2
At least 24 mos., but less than 36 mos.	5.6	9.2	10.9	6.4
At least 36 mos., but less than 48 mos.	2.5	4.3	3.9	2.4
48 or more mos.	5.2	3.9	6.5	2.4
Missing data	8.1	1.9	0.0	0.4
Number	443	414	413	468

4.2 Children Re-entering Foster Care (%)	2000	2001	2002	2003
Children entering care for the first time	79.9	77.9	81.9	81.5
Children re-entering care within 12 mos. of a prior episode	10.7	12.8	10.2	9.5
Children re-entering care more than 12 mos. after a prior episode	9.4	9.4	7.9	9.0
Missing data	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Number	735	727	832	725

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.	1.0	0.0	0.7	1.9
At least 12 mos., but less than 24 mos.	15.5	16.5	22.2	18.7
At least 24 mos., but less than 36 mos.	31.1	35.3	46.7	33.5
At least 36 mos., but less than 48 mos.	24.3	22.4	14.8	29.0
48 or more mos.	20.4	22.4	15.6	16.8
Missing data	7.8	3.5	0.0	0.0
Number	103	85	135	155

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	58.9	68.9	63.9	63.2	34.5	35.8	40.1	40.4	18.6	19.5	19.5	21.1	100.0	0.0	100.0	100.0
Children with 3 or more placements	41.1	31.0	36.1	36.8	65.5	64.2	59.9	59.6	81.4	80.4	80.5	78.9	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Number	798	785	904	845	440	402	414	539	796	760	863	781	2	0	2	2

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	3.7	5.0	3.9	4.5
Institutions	0.9	0.9	0.7	0.5
Other settings	95.4	94.1	95.4	95.0
Missing data	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Number	347	338	411	378

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Vermont [ Federal Comment ]

PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT

The following is a discussion of Vermont'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, 5.5 percent of the children in Vermont 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 is less than the national median of 7.1 percent, but also represents an improvement in performance on the measure from 2000 to 2003 (-30.4 percent change).

Vermont's relatively low percentage of children experiencing maltreatment recurrence in 2003 corresponds to a relatively low child maltreatment victim rate in the State. In 2003, the rate of child maltreatment victims in Vermont was 9.0 child victims per 1,000 children in the population, which is less than the national median of 10.6 child victims per 1,000 children in the population. Vermont's child victim rate did not change from 2000 to 2003.

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

In 2003, 0.05 percent of the children in foster care in Vermont were found to be maltreated by foster parents or facility staff members (measure 2.1). This percent not only is less than the national median of 0.39 percent, but also represents an improvement in performance from 2000 to 2003 (-91.4 percent change).

Outcome 3. Increase permanency for children in foster care

In 2003, 83.1 percent of children exiting foster care (measure 3.1) were discharged to a permanent home, which is less than the national median of 86.3 percent. Also in 2003, 61.7 percent of the children exiting foster care who had a diagnosed disability (measure 3.2) were discharged to a permanent home, which is less than the national median of 79.5 percent. In contrast, 71.8 percent of the children exiting foster care in 2003 who were older than age 12 when they entered foster care (measure 3.3) were discharged to a permanent home, which is about equal to the national median of 72.2 percent.

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, 22.7 percent of the children reported as emancipated from foster care entered foster care when they were age 12 or younger (measure 3.4). This percent not only is less than the national median of 29.6 percent, but also represents an improvement in performance on the measure from 2000 to 2003 (-20.6 percent change).

It is not meaningful to assess exits to permanency in Vermont as a function of children's race or ethnicity (measure 3.5) because 95 percent of the children exiting foster care in 2003 were White (non-Hispanic).

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

In 2003, 70.3 percent of reunifications in Vermont occurred within 12 months of a child's entry into foster care (measure 4.1). Although this percent is less than the national median of 72.0 percent, it represents an improvement in performance on this measure from 2000 to 2003 (+12.5 percent change). However, 4.8 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, 9.5 percent of the children entering foster care in 2003 were re-entering within 12 months of a prior episode (measure 4.2). This percent is equal to the national median of 9.5 percent and represents an improvement in performance on the measure from 2000 to 2003 (-11.2 percent change). However, 9.0 percent of the children entering foster care were entering more than 12 months after a prior foster care episode. Consequently, 18.5 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, 20.6 percent of finalized adoptions in Vermont occurred within 24 months of a child's entry into foster care (measure 5.1). Although this percent is less than the national median of 23.9 percent, it represents an improvement in performance on this measure from 2000 to 2003 (+24.8 percent change).

Outcome 6. Increase placement stability

In 2003, 63.3 percent of the children in foster care for less than 12 months experienced no more than two placement settings (measure 6.1). Although this percent is less than the national median of 84.2 percent, it represents an improvement in performance on the measure from 2000 to 2003 (+7.3 percent change). Also in 2003, 40.4 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 is less than the national median of 59.1 percent. However, performance on this measure also improved from 2000 to 2003 (+17.1 percent change).

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

In 2003, 5.0 percent of the children entering foster care in Vermont who were age 12 or younger were placed in a group home or institution (measure 7.1). Although this percent is less than the national median of 8.3 percent, it represents a decline in performance on the measure from 2000 to 2003 (+8.7 percent change).

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