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State Data Pages

Louisiana Context Data

A. Key Context Statistics

GENERAL POPULATION IN 1997

 

Total children under 18 yrs

1,190,878

  • Alaska Native/American Indian

0%

  • Asian/Pacific Islander

1%

  • Black

39%

  • Hispanic

3%

  • White

56%

Child population in poverty

23%

Child population living in metropolitan areas

81%

CHILD WELFARE

 

Child maltreatment victims during 1997

14,825

Children in foster care on 9/30/98

6,301

Children adopted during FY 1998

236*

>
*See State Commentary


B. Child Maltreatment Data
(NCANDS SDC, 1997)

OVERVIEW

Count

Rate

Children subject of an investigated report alleging child maltreatment

46,287

39 per 1,000

Child maltreatment victims (1)

14,825

12 per 1,000

Child fatalities

17

1.4 per 100,000


AGE

Under

1-5 Yrs

6-10 Yrs

11-15 Yrs

16+ Yrs

Unknown

Total

Number

Child victims

7%

31%

30%

26%

7%

0%

101%

14,825


RACE/ETHNICITY

Alaska Native/A.I.

Asian/Pacific Islander

Black

Hispanic

White

Other

Unable to Determine/Missing

Total (2)

Number

Child victims

0%

0%

55%

0%

44%

0%

1%

100%

14,825


MALTREATMENT TYPE

Emotional

Medical Neglect

Neglect

Physical Abuse

Sexual Abuse

Other

Unknown

Total (3)

Number

Child victims

4%

0%

69%

21%

6%

1%

0%

101%

14,825

(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

5,649

3,051

2,399

6,301

8,700

Median length of stay (months)

23.0

N/A

15.6

19.5

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

2%

25%

28%

31%

13%

0%

0%

99%

5,649

Entered care (FY 1998)

10%

23%

22%

36%

9%

0%

0%

100%

3,051

Exited care (FY 1998)

4%

29%

26%

20%

21%

0%

0%

100%

2,399

In care on 9/30/98

3%

21%

25%

36%

15%

0%

0%

100%

6,301


RACE/ETHNICITY

Alaska Native/A.I.

Asian/Pacific Islander

Black

Hispanic

White

Unable to Determine /Missing

Total

Number

In care on 10/1 /97

0%

0%

66%

0%

32%

0%

98%

5,649

Entered care (FY 1998)

0%

0%

60%

1%

38%

0%

99%

3,051

Exited care (FY 1998)

0%

0%

62%

1%

36%

1%

100%

2,399

In care on 9/30/98

0%

0%

65%

1%

34%

0%

100%

6,301


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

OVERVIEW

Children waiting to be adopted

1,171

• Children whose parents' rights have been terminated (TPR)

253


AGE

Under
1 Yr

1-5 Yrs

6-10 Yrs

11-15 Yrs

16-17 Yrs

Missing

Total

Number

Waiting children

2%

31%

41%

24%

2%

0%

100%

1,171


RACE/ETHNICITY

Alaska Native/A.I.

Asian/Pacific Islander

Black

Hispanic

White

Unable to Determine /Missing

Total

Number

Waiting children

0%

0%

61%

1%

37%

1%

100%

1,171

(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%

37%

45%

15%

1%

0%

100%

236


RACE/ETHNICITY

Alaska Native/A.I.

Asian/Pacific Islander

Black

Hispanic

White

Unable to Determine /Unknown

Total

Number

Children

0%

0%

64%

0%

35%

1%

100%

236

 

Louisiana 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

93%

Children with one or more recurrences within 12 months

7%

Total

100%

Number

8,669


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

10%

Guardianship

2%

Reunification

73%

Other

15%

Missing

1%

Total

101%

Number

2,399

Pie Chart

3.2 Exits of Disabled Children

 

Adoption

21%

Guardianship

3%

Reunification

39%

Other

36%

Missing

1%

Total

100%

Number

384


3.3 Exits of Children Age 12 or Older at Entry

 

Adoption

1%

Guardianship

2%

Reunification

63%

Other

34%

Missing

1%

Total

101%

Number

577


3.4 Exits by Race/Ethnicity

Alaska Native/ A.I.

Asian/Pacific Islander

Black

Hispanic

White

Unable to Determine

Missing

Adoption

0%

17%

10%

0%

10%

23%

0%

Guardianship

0%

0%

2%

0%

2%

15%

0%

Reunification

43%

33%

73%

77%

74%

54%

0%

Other

57%

50%

15%

23%

13%

8%

0%

Missing

0%

0%

1%

0%

0%

0%

0%

Total

100%

100%

101%

100%

99%

100%

0%

Number

7

6

1,497

13

863

13

0


3.5 Exits to Emancipation

 

Children age 12 or younger at entry

50%

Children older than 12 at entry

50%

Missing

0%

Total

100%

Number

304



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

54%

At least 12 months, but less than 24 months

26%

At least 24 months, but less than 36 months

10%

At least 36 months, but less than 48 months

4%

48 or more months

5%

Missing

0%

Total

99%

Number

1,747

Chart

4.2 Children Who Entered Foster Care in FY 1998

 

Children entering care for the first time

83%

Children re-entering care within 12 months of a prior episode

7%

Children re-entering care more than 12 months after a prior episode

9%

Missing

0%

Total

99%

Number

3,051


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

5.1 Time to Adoption

 

Less than 12 months

4%

At least 12 months, but less than 24 months

8%

At least 24 months, but less than 36 months

19%

At least 36 months, but less than 48 months

24%

48 or more months

44%

Missing

0%

Total

99%

Number

236


Chart

5.2 Time to Adoption for Children Age 3 or Older at Entry

 

Less than 12 months

2%

At least 12 months, but less than 24 months

2%

At least 24 months, but less than 36 months

18%

At least 36 months, but less than 48 months

30%

48 or more months

48%

Missing

0%

Total

100%

Number

100


Chart


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

78%

46%

29%

25%

15%

86%

Children with 3 or more placements

20%

54%

71%

75%

85%

10%

Missing

1%

0%

0%

0%

0%

5%

Total

99%

100%

100%

100%

100%

101%

Number

3,415

1,628

1,005

669

1,962

21


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

6%

Other settings

92%

Missing

0%

Total

100%

Number

1,889

 

Louisiana State Comments

Sue D. Steib, Director
Division of Child Welfare Development, Office of Community Services
Louisiana Department of Social Services
(225) 342-2297

The total number of adoptions of children from foster care during FY98 was 311, not 236.

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