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Home > Statistics & Research > AFCARS Assessment Reviews > District of Columbia Assessment Review > AFCARS Assessment Review Checklist - General Requirement

AFCARS Assessment Review Checklist - General Requirement
State: District of Columbia
Report Period Under Review: April 1, 2004 - September 30, 2004 (2004B)

REQUIREMENT FINDING/NOTES RATING
FACTOR
POPULATION REQUIREMENTS 4
45 CFR 1355.40(a) Scope of the data collection system - foster care    
Must include all children in foster care for whom the agency has responsibility for placement, care, or supervision (45 CFR 1355.40(a)(2)).    
 •  All children who are required to be provided the protection of section 422(b)(10) of the Social Security Act (the Act) (Appendix A - SECTION II).
Yes  
 •  All children supervised by or under the responsibility of another public agency with which the title IV-B/E agency has an agreement under title IV-E and the State makes title IV-E foster care maintenance payments (Appendix A - SECTION II).
Yes  
Includes Native American children covered under section 422(b)(10) of the Act, (45 CFR 1355.40(a)(2)). Yes  
Out of State placements. The State making the placement submits the information on the child (45 CFR 1355.40(a)(2)). Yes  
Includes all children who have been in foster care at least 24 hours (Appendix A - SECTION II). Yes  
Does not include children who are in their own homes under the responsibility of the State agency (Appendix A - SECTION II). Yes  
Include all children who are in the placement, care, or supervision responsibility of the title IV-B/E agency that are on "trial home visits" (Child Welfare Policy Manual, Section 1.3, AFCARS Reporting Population). Yes  
Includes youth over the age of 18 if a payment is being made on behalf of the child (Child Welfare Policy Manual, Section 1, AFCARS). Yes (Age of majority is 21)  
45 CFR 1355.40(a) Scope of the data collection system - adoption    
Includes all adopted children placed by the agency, and all adopted children for whom the State agency is providing adoption assistance (either ongoing or for non-recurring expenses), or for whom care or services are provided directly or by contract or agreement with other private or public agencies (45 CFR 1355.40(a)(3)). Yes  
 •  Report on all children adopted in the State during the reporting period in whose adoption the State has had any involvement. All adoptions after 10/1/94 that meet the criteria below must be reported. Criteria (Appendix B - Section II):
Yes  
       a) Children who had been in foster care under the responsibility and care of the agency.
Yes  
       b) All special needs children, whether or not they were in the public foster care system prior to their adoption and for whom non-recurring expenses were reimbursed.
Yes  
       c) Children adopted for whom an adoption assistance payment or service is being provided based on arrangements with the State agency.
Yes  
Adoptions prior to 10/1/94, with title IV-E adoption subsidies, report aggregate data (45 CFR 1355.40(a)(3)). File Submitted  
For children adopted out-of-State, the placing State reports the adoption data (45 CFR 1355.40(a)(3)). Yes  
Voluntarily reports on all other adoptions. (Appendix B - Section II). No  
REQUIREMENT FINDING/NOTES RATING
FACTOR
TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS 4
45 CFR 1355.40(a) Scope of the data collection system - foster care    
The data must be extracted from the data system as of the last day of the reporting period (45 CFR 1355.40(b)(1)). Yes  
The data must be submitted in electronic form as described in Appendix C (45 CFR 1355.40(b)(1)). Yes  
The data must be in record layouts as delineated in Appendix D (45 CFR 1355.40(b)). Yes  
Appendix A, 45 CFR 1355 Foster Care Data Elements and Appendix B, 45 CFR 1355 Adoption Data Elements    
State uses sequential numbering of the case record number or encrypts the record number. District encrypts the record number.  
Appendix C, 45 CFR 1355 Electronic Data Transmission Format    
Data file must be in ASCII format. Yes  
Elements must be comprised of integer (numeric) value(s). Yes  
All records must be a fixed length. Yes  
ACYF-PI-CB-95-09, Reissued May 23, 1995    
State extracts all records based on the transaction date of discharge. The District uses the transaction dates for selecting and extracting the foster care data file.  
Technical Bulletin #2, File Format    
State uses correct file name for transmission. Yes  
Data Extraction    
For children who are in care on the last day of the reporting period, information as of the last day of the period is extracted. Yes  
For children who were discharged during the period, information on the most recent episode is extracted. Yes  
File Creation    
State attaches footnotes to files. N/A  
State is using proper format for the creation of footnotes. N/A  
State uses DCU and DQU on its data file. Yes  
Data Conversion    
State transferred historical information on open cases. Specifically, it included information on: date of first removal, total number of removals, and whether the child's mother was married at the time of the child's birth. If the case was open at the time of conversion, information on the number of placement settings was included. See notes in the foster care findings regarding specific data elements.  
The information system has the capability of recording historical information. This should apply to both open cases in which historical information must be entered, and for closed cases that re-open after conversion and must be entered into the system. Yes  

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