State Data Pages: Colorado

State Data Pages

Colorado Context Data

A. Key Context Statistics

GENERAL POPULATION IN 1997
Total children under 18 yrs	1,015,529
• Alaska Native/American Indian	1%
• Asian/Pacific Islander	2%
• Black	5%
• Hispanic	20%
• White	72%
Child population in poverty	9%
Child population living in metropolitan areas	86%
CHILD WELFARE
Child maltreatment victims during 1997	7,123
Children in foster care on 9/30/98	7,951
Children adopted during FY 1998	575

B. Child Maltreatment Data
(NCANDS SDC, 1997)

OVERVIEW	Count	Rate
Children subject of an investigated report alleging child maltreatment	-	-
Child maltreatment victims (1)	7,123	7 per 1,000
Child fatalities	24	2.4 per 100,000

AGE	Under	1-5 Yrs	6-10 Yrs	11-15 Yrs	16+ Yrs	Unknown	Total	Number
Child victims	9%	30%	32%	24%	4%	0%	100%	7,123

RACE/ETHNICITY	Alaska Native/A.I.	Asian/Pacific Islander	Black	Hispanic	White	Other	Unable to Determine/Missing	Total (2)	Number
Child victims	2%	1%	9%	22%	74%	7%	9%	124%	7,123

MALTREATMENT TYPE

Emotional

Medical Neglect

Neglect

Physical Abuse

Sexual Abuse

Other

Unknown

Total (3)

Number

Child victims

13%

63%

28%

15%

125%

7,123

(1) Children with more than one report of substantiated or indicated maltreatment may be counted more than once.
(2) Percentages may total more than 100 percent because Hispanics may be counted both by Hispanic ethnicity and by race.
(3) Percentages may total more than 100 percent because children could have been victims of more than one type of maltreatment.

C. Children in Foster Care
(AFCARS Annual Foster Care Database, FY 1998)

OVERVIEW	In Care on 10/1/97	Entered Care (FY 1998)	Exited Care (FY 1998)	In Care on 9/30/98	Total Served
Children	6,006	7,147	5,202	7,951	13,153
Median length of stay (months)	15.2	N/A	3.8	11.1	N/A

AGE	Under 1 Yr	1-5 Yrs	6-10 Yrs	11-15 Yrs	16-18 Yrs	19 + Yrs	Missing	Total	Number
In care on 10/1/97	3%	18%	23%	34%	20%	1%	0%	99%	6,006
Entered care (FY 1998)	8%	19%	19%	37%	17%	0%	0%	100%	7,147
Exited care (FY 1998)	4%	19%	17%	31%	28%	1%	0%	100%	5,202
In care on 9/30/98	4%	19%	22%	34%	20%	1%	0%	100%	7,951

RACE/ETHNICITY	Alaska Native/A.I.	Asian/Pacific Islander	Black	Hispanic	White	Unable to Determine /Missing	Total	Number
In care on 10/1 /97	2%	1%	17%	22%	53%	3%	98%	6,006
Entered care (FY 1998)	2%	1%	12%	27%	52%	6%	100%	7,147
Exited care (FY 1998)	2%	1%	13%	24%	53%	6%	99%	5,202
In care on 9/30/98	2%	1%	16%	25%	53%	3%	100%	7,951

D. Children Waiting to be Adopted on 9/30/1998 (4)
(AFCARS Annual Foster Care Database, FY 1998)

OVERVIEW
Children waiting to be adopted	1,480
• Children whose parents' rights have been terminated (TPR)	974

AGE	Under 1 Yr	1-5 Yrs	6-10 Yrs	11-15 Yrs	16-17 Yrs	Missing	Total	Number
Waiting children	2%	30%	39%	25%	3%	1%	100%	1,480

RACE/ETHNICITY	Alaska Native/A.I.	Asian/Pacific Islander	Black	Hispanic	White	Unable to Determine /Missing	Total	Number
Waiting children	2%	1%	22%	26%	47%	2%	100%	1,480

(4) Waiting children are children who have a goal of adoption and/or whose parental rights have been terminated. Children 16 years and older with TPR, but with a goal of emancipation have been excluded from the waiting children and TPR populations.

E. Children Adopted
(AFCARS Annual Adoption Database, FY 1998)

AGE	Under 1 Yr	1-5 Yrs	6-10 Yrs	11-15 Yrs	16+ Yrs	Missing	Total	Number
Children	2%	49%	36%	11%	1%	0%	99%	575

RACE/ETHNICITY	Alaska Native/A.I.	Asian/Pacific Islander	Black	Hispanic	White	Unable to Determine /Unknown	Total	Number
Children	2%	1%	21%	24%	51%	1%	100%	575

Colorado Outcomes Data

1. Reduce Recurrence of Child Abuse and/or Neglect
(NCANDS, DCDC 1997)

1.1 Recurrence of Maltreatment
Children without a recurrence within 12 months	97%
Children with one or more recurrences within 12 months	3%
Total	100%
Number	5,443

2. Reduce the Incidence of Child Abuse and/or Neglect in Foster Care

2.1 Maltreatment in Foster Care
Children maltreated while in foster care	To be reported in 2001
Children not maltreated while in foster care	To be reported in 2001
Total	To be reported in 2001
Number	To be reported in 2001

3. Increase Permanency for Children in Foster Care
(AFCARS Annual Foster Care Database, FY 1998)

3.1 Exits from Foster Care
Adoption	6%
Guardianship	1%
Reunification	71%
Other	17%
Missing	4%
Total	99%
Number	5,202

Pie Chart

3.2 Exits of Disabled Children
Adoption	6%
Guardianship	1%
Reunification	68%
Other	21%
Missing	3%
Total	99%
Number	1,517

3.3 Exits of Children Age 12 or Older at Entry
Adoption	0%
Guardianship	1%
Reunification	71%
Other	27%
Missing	0%
Total	99%
Number	2,803

3.4 Exits by Race/Ethnicity	Alaska Native/ A.I.	Asian/Pacific Islander	Black	Hispanic	White	Unable to Determine	Missing
Adoption	11%	3%	11%	5%	6%	4%	0%
Guardianship	1%	1%	2%	1%	1%	2%	0%
Reunification	67%	75%	63%	76%	71%	79%	0%
Other	20%	17%	19%	15%	17%	15%	0%
Missing	2%	4%	6%	3%	5%	0%	0%
Total	101%	100%	101%	100%	100%	100%	0%
Number	121	77	654	1,273	2,748	329	0

3.5 Exits to Emancipation
Children age 12 or younger at entry	19%
Children older than 12 at entry	81%
Missing	0%
Total	100%
Number	262

4. Reduce Time to Reunification Without Increasing Re-entry
(AFCARS Annual Foster Care Database, FY 1998)

4.1 Time to Reunification
Less than 12 months	83%
At least 12 months, but less than 24 months	10%
At least 24 months, but less than 36 months	3%
At least 36 months, but less than 48 months	1%
48 or more months	2%
Missing	0%
Total	99%
Number	3,718

Chart

4.2 Children Who Entered Foster Care in FY 1998
Children entering care for the first time	70%
Children re-entering care within 12 months of a prior episode	18%
Children re-entering care more than 12 months after a prior episode	11%
Missing	1%
Total	100%
Number	7,147

5. Reduce Time in Foster Care to Adoption
(AFCARS Annual Foster Care Database, FY 1998)

5.1 Time to Adoption
Less than 12 months	20%
At least 12 months, but less than 24 months	27%
At least 24 months, but less than 36 months	23%
At least 36 months, but less than 48 months	17%
48 or more months	14%
Missing	0%
Total	101%
Number	328

5.2 Time to Adoption for Children Age 3 or Older at Entry
Less than 12 months	19%
At least 12 months, but less than 24 months	21%
At least 24 months, but less than 36 months	22%
At least 36 months, but less than 48 months	23%
48 or more months	15%
Missing	0%
Total	100%
Number	149

6. Increase Placement Stability
(AFCARS Annual Foster Care Database, FY 1998)

6.1 Number of Placements by Time in Care	Less than 12 mos.	At least 12 mos., but < 24	At least 24 mos., but < 36	At least 36 mos., but < 48	48 or more mos.	Missing
Children with 2 or fewer placements	87%	55%	38%	32%	24%	96%
Children with 3 or more placements	13%	45%	62%	68%	76%	4%
Missing	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%
Total	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%
Number	7,889	2,113	1,108	774	1,243	26

7. Reduce Placements of Young Children in Group Homes or Institutions
(AFCARS Annual Foster Care Database, FY 1998)

7.1 Most Recent Placement Settings of Children Who Entered Care During FY 1998 and Were Age 12 or Younger at the Time of This Placement
Group homes	2%
Institutions	7%
Other settings	91%
Missing	0%
Total	100%
Number	3,809

Colorado State Comments

Jane Beveridge, Manager, Child Welfare Programs
and John P. Daurio, Manager, Child Welfare Operations
Office of Children, Youth and Family Programs, Colorado Department of Human Services
(303) 866-5932

Colorado has a State-supervised, county-administered delivery system that served approximately 53,345 children and 36,158 families during State fiscal year 1998 through County Departments of Social Services in 61 counties. The majority of the children served (70.88 percent) were served for reasons of child abuse and/or neglect.

Child Welfare Context Data, Section B: Colorado defines maltreatment fatalities based on the following criteria: (1) Parent or parent substitute identified as perpetrator (including all caregivers put in a position of direct responsibility for the child by the parent or parent substitute; this includes babysitters, nannies, relatives, paramours, etc.); (2) Classified as an abuse/neglect-related death by the State fatality review board. (May include auto-related neglect and lack of supervision, including suicide by the victim.); (3) Victim is under the age of 18.

Child Welfare Context Data, Section D: The free-for- adoption children include children who are in permanent placements, e.g., children in permanent designated family foster homes, guardianship, and/or kinship care, as well as children over the age of 18 who are still in out-of-home care. Therefore, the number of children who are available for adoption and still in need of permanent placement is smaller than the total number of children free for adoption indicates.

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