General Population	1998	1999
Total children under 18 years	3,539,932	3,569,878
Race/ethnicity (%)
Alaska Native/American Indian	0.3	0.3
Asian/Pacific Islander	1.9	2.0
Black	21.1	21.2
Hispanic	17.0	17.5
White	59.7	59.0
% Child population in poverty	22.1	18.4
% Child population living in metropolitan areas	95.0	95.0

 

Child Welfare	1998	1999
Child maltreatment victims	82,119	67,530
Children in foster care on 9/30	26,320	34,292
Children adopted	1,549	1,355

 

B. Child Maltreatment Data (NCANDS SDC, 1998 & 1999)

	Number		Rate
Maltreatment Information Overview	1998	1999	1998	1999
Children subject of an investigated report alleging child maltreatment	186,967	160,686	52.8 per 1,000	45.0 per 1,000
Child maltreatment victims1	82,119	67,530	23.2 per 1,000	18.9 per 1,000
Child fatalities	54	57	1.5 per 100,000	1.6 per 100,000

Age of Child Victims (%)	1998	1999
Under 1 year	9.3	9.6
1-5 years	31.2	30.3
6-10 years	30.7	30.5
11-15 years	23.4	23.7
16+ years	5.4	5.9
Unknown	0.0	0.1
Total %	100.0	100.0
Number	82,119	67,530

 

Race/Ethnicity of Child Victims (%)	1998	1999
Alaska Native/American Indian	0.1	0.1
Asian/Pacific Islander	0.4	0.4
Black	31.8	31.9
Hispanic	7.6	8.1
White	67.0	66.6
Other	-	-
Unknown	0.7	1.0
Total %2	107.6	108.1
Number	82,119	67,530

 

Maltreatment Type of Child Victims (%)	1998	1999
Emotional abuse	3.0	3.0
Medical neglect	2.6	2.3
Neglect	41.5	39.8
Physical abuse	18.8	17.8
Sexual abuse	7.3	6.5
Other	50.8	54.7
Unknown	-	-
Total %3	124.0	124.1
Number	82,119	67,530

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

C. Children in Foster Care
(AFCARS Annual Foster Care Database, FY 1998 & FY 1999)

Number of Children	In Care on 10/1	Entered Care	Exited Care	In Care on 9/30	Total Served
FY1998 (10/1/97-9/30/98)	20,274	13,980	7,934	26,320	34,254
FY1999 (10/1/98-9/30/99)	21,291	21,118	8,117	34,292	42,409
Median Length of Stay (Months)	<	<	<	<	<
FY1998 (10/1/97-9/30/98)	15.8	N/A	16.1	13.3	N/A
FY1999 (10/1/98-9/30/99)	14.2	N/A	15.2	9.9	N/A

 

Age of Children in Foster Care (%)	In Care on 10/1/97	In Care on 10/1/98	Entered Care During FY 1998	Entered Care During FY 1999	Exited Care During FY 1998	Exited Care During FY 1999	In Care on 9/30/98	In Care on 9/30/99
Under 1 year	4.3	5.2	14.0	14.7	2.3	2.6	4.9	6.1
1-5 years	30.9	30.7	33.6	33.3	32.3	32.4	31.3	32.7
6-10 years	29.9	29.3	26.9	27.8	30.3	30.9	29.6	28.9
11-15 years	23.8	24.1	20.4	19.6	20.1	20.3	23.5	22.6
16-18 years	9.9	9.7	4.8	4.5	12.9	12.0	9.7	9.0
19+ years	1.0	0.7	0.2	0.1	1.6	1.2	0.8	0.6
Missing	0.2	0.2	0.1	0.0	0.4	0.5	0.2	0.1
Total %	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0
Number	20,274	21,291	13,980	21,118	7,934	8,117	26,320	34,292

 

Race/Ethnicity of Children in Foster Care (%)	In Care on 10/1/97	In Care on 10/1/98	Entered Care During FY 1998	Entered Care During FY 1999	Exited Care During FY 1998	Exited Care During FY 1999	In Care on 9/30/98	In Care on 9/30/99
Alaska Native/American Indian	0.1	0.1	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.1	0.1	0.2
Asian/Pacific Islander	0.1	0.2	0.2	0.1	0.2	0.1	0.1	0.2
Black	52.7	51.0	45.4	42.8	49.6	48.4	49.7	46.5
Hispanic	4.4	4.8	4.5	5.4	4.1	4.4	4.6	5.3
White	42.2	43.5	49.3	49.9	45.4	46.6	45.0	46.7
Unknown	0.4	0.4	0.5	0.8	0.5	0.4	0.4	0.6
Not applicable	-	-	-	0.8	-	-	-	0.5
Total %	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0
Number	20,274	21,291	13,980	21,118	7,934	8,117	26,320	34,292

 

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Overview	9/30/98	9/30/99
Children waiting to be adopted	4,203	4,610
Children whose parents' rights have been terminated (TPR)	-	-

 

Age of Waiting Children (%)	1998	1999
Under 1 year	2.9	4.3
1-5 years	31.7	32.2
6-10 years	37.3	36.6
11-15 years	24.8	23.6
16+ years	3.0	2.8
Unknown	0.4	0.5
Total %	100.0	100.0
Number	4,203	4,610

 

Race/Ethnicity of Waiting Children (%)	1998	1999
Alaska Native/American Indian	0.2	0.1
Asian/Pacific Islander	0.1	0.1
Black	50.3	49.7
Hispanic	4.4	4.5
White	44.5	44.4
Unknown	0.5	0.9
Not applicable	-	0.3
Total %	100.0	100.0
Number	4,203	4,610

 

E. Children Adopted
(AFCARS Annual Foster Care Database, FY 1998 & 1999)

 

Age of Adopted Children (%)	1998	1999
Under 1 year	0.8	1.3
1-5 years	46.8	46.7
6-10 years	35.4	34.5
11-15 years	15.0	15.9
16+ years	1.9	1.7
Unknown	-	-
Total %	100.0	100.0
Number	1,549	1,355

 

Race/Ethnicity of Adopted Children (%)	1998	1999
Alaska Native/American Indian	-	0.1
Asian/Pacific Islander	0.4	-
Black	40.1	39.6
Hispanic	10.3	11.4
White	48.7	48.2
Unknown	0.5	0.7
Not applicable	-	-
Total %	100.0	100.0
Number	1,549	1,355

 

 

Florida [ Outcomes Data ]

 

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1. Reduce Recurrence of Child Abuse and/or Neglect
(NCANDS, DCDC 1998 & 1999)

1.1 Recurrence of Maltreatment Within 6 Months (%)	1998	1999
Children without a recurrence	91.8	93.8
Children with one or more recurrences	8.2	6.2
Total %	100.0	100.0
Number	38,823	37,374

2. Reduce the Incidence of Child Abuse and/or Neglect in Foster Care
(NCANDS, DCDC Jan —Sept, AFCARS Annual Foster Care Database Jan —Sept 1998 & 1999)

2.1 Maltreatment in Foster Care (%)	1998	1999
Children maltreated while in Foster Care	1.0	0.9
Children not maltreated while in Foster Care	99.0	99.1
Total %	100.0	100.0
Number	32,587	40,268

 

3. Increase Permanency for Children in Foster Care
(AFCARS Annual Foster Care Database FY 1998 & FY 1999)

3.1 Exits from Foster Care (%)	1998	1999
Adoption	15.6	12.5
Guardianship	-	-
Reunification	71.5	73.6
Other	12.8	13.8
Missing	-	-
Total %	100.0	100.0
Number	7,934	8,117

 

3.2 Exits of Disabled Children (%)	1998	1999
Adoption	-	66.7
Guardianship	-	-
Reunification	-	-
Other	-	33.3
Missing	-	-
Total %	-	100.0
Number	-	3

 

3.3 Exits of Children Over Age 12 at Entry (%)	1998	1999
Adoption	3.0	2.1
Guardianship	-	-
Reunification	53.8	54.4
Other	43.2	43.5
Missing	-	-
Total %	100.0	100.0
Number	1,406	1,347

 

3.4 Exits to Emancipation (%)	1998	1999
Children age 12 or younger at entry	27.8	28.0
Children older than 12 at entry	71.8	71.6
Missing	0.4	0.3
Total %	100.0	100.0
Number	684	649

 

3.5 Exits by Race/Ethnicity (%)	Alaska Native/A.I.		Asian/P.I.		Black		Hispanic
	1998	1999	1998	1999	1998	1999	1998	1999
Adoption	6.7	22.2	11.1	9.1	12.8	10.0	11.0	12.7
Guardianship	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Reunification	86.7	55.6	77.8	63.6	74.6	76.3	76.8	72.6
Other	6.7	22.2	11.1	27.3	12.6	13.7	12.2	14.7
Missing	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Total %	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0
Number	15	9	18	11	3,937	3,932	327	354
	White		Unable to Determine		Not Applicable		Missing
	1998	1999	1998	1999	1998	1999	1998	1999
Adoption	19.1	15.0	25.0	22.6	N/A	-	-	-
Guardianship	-	-	-	-	N/A	-	-	-
Reunification	67.6	71.2	66.7	58.1	N/A	-	-	-
Other	13.2	13.8	8.3	19.4	N/A	-	-	-
Missing	-	-	-	-	N/A	-	-	-
Total %	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	N/A	-	-	-
Number	3,601	3,780	36	31	N/A	-	-	-

 

4. Reduce Time to Reunification Without Increasing Re-entry
(AFCARS Annual Foster Care Database FY 1998 & FY 1999)

4.1 Time to Reunification (%)	1998	1999
Less than 12 mos.	44.3	44.6
At least 12 mos., but less than 24 mos.	28.1	30.1
At least 24 mos., but less than 36 mos.	12.7	12.2
At least 36 mos., but less than 48 mos.	6.4	5.1
48 or more mos.	8.3	7.6
Missing	0.2	0.4
Total (%)	100.0	100.0
Number	5,674	5,978

 

4.2 Children Who Entered Foster Care (%)	1998	1999
Children entering care for the first time	87.7	87.6
Children re-entering care within 12 mos. of a prior episode	4.7	5.4
Children re-entering care more than 12 mos. after a prior episode	7.6	6.4
Missing	-	0.7
Total (%)	100.0	100.0
Number	13,980	21,118

 

 

5. Reduce Time in Foster Care to Adoption
(AFCARS Annual Foster Care Database FY 1998 & FY 1999)

5.1 Time to Adoption (%)	1998	1999
Less than 12 mos.	27.6	25.0
At least 12 mos., but less than 24 mos.	13.9	18.5
At least 24 mos., but less than 36 mos.	19.3	17.9
At least 36 mos., but less than 48 mos.	14.4	16.4
48 or more mos.	22.9	21.6
Missing	1.9	0.6
Total (%)	100.0	100.0
Number	1,241	1,017

 

6. Increase Placement Stability
(AFCARS Annual Foster Care Database FY 1998 & FY 1999)

6.1 Number of Placements by Time in Care (%)	Year	Children With 2 or Fewer Placements	Children With 3 or More Placements	Missing Placements	Total %	Number
Less than 12 mos.	1998 1999	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
At least 12 mos., but <24 mos.	1998 1999	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
At least 24 mos., but <36 mos.	1998 1999	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
At least 36 mos., but <48 mos.	1998 1999	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
48 or more mos.	1998 1999	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -
Missing	1998 1999	- -	- -	- -	- -	- -

 

7. Reduce Placements of Young Children in Group Homes or Institutions
(AFCARS Annual Foster Care Database FY 1998 & FY 1999)

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 (%)	1998	1999
Group homes	-	1.3
Institutions	-	0.1
Other settings	-	95.3
Missing	-	3.3
Total (%)	-	100.0
Number	-	4,093

 

Florida [ State Comments]

 

Mike Watkins, Director
Office of Family Safety
Florida Department of Children and Families
850-488-8762

 

Florida has a high percentage of maltreatment types in the "Other ” category. This reflects the state category of Threatened Harm. Almost a quarter of these relate to domestic violence.

When Florida measures recurrence, the follow-up period is 12 months, starting when all state services are closed.

In Florida's foster care data, Hispanic children were under-reported, children exiting to guardianship were included in the category of reunification, and placement date and number of placements were only tracked locally. Starting with October 1999 - March 2000, Florida began reporting these data.

Annual foster care data are created from the two six-month files for the report year and the first six-month file of the following year. Included in the first six-month file of the following year are children removed during the report year, but entered into the state's computer system after data were transmitted. However, if discharges are closed in the state system after transmission, they are not picked up in the next file. Due to this, the federal data show higher entrants than discharges and a higher end count. This will be corrected when Florida begins reporting based on transaction dates from its new SACWIS system.

Children in short-term emergency placements who are not staffed by or disposed to foster care have not been included. This artificially increases length of stay. The number of discharges to adoption in the foster care file and the number of records in the adoption file differ because separate efforts have been in place to collect and correct the two files. These discrepancies and the lack of parental rights termination dates will be corrected when the new SACWIS system becomes the AFCARS source file.

 

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