Case File Findings

Foster Care Case File Findings
State: Delaware

AFCARS Element	Data in AFCARS Matches Case File	Data in AFCARS Does Not Match Paper File	Questionable	Comments
#5 Most Recent Periodic Review Date	YRS: 15 DFS: 32	DFS: 6	blank cell	YRS: There were four cases not analyzed because the data could not be verified (the paper file did not contain it). DFS: In four cases, the date reported to AFCARS was more than one year before the end of the report period, or if applicable, the child's discharge date. In another record, the date reported to AFCARS was from a prior removal period. There were 6 cases (5 DFS and 1 YRS) where the date reported to AFCARS was between 7 and 9 months prior to the end of the report period end date, or if applicable, the child's discharge date. While this meets the AFCARS standard, programmatically there should have been a review held at least within seven months of the last review, or the child having entered care.
#6 Child Birth Date	YRS: 19 DFS: 37	DFS: 1	blank cell	blank cell
#7 Child Sex 1 = Male 2 = Female	YRS: 19 DFS: 38	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell
#8 Child Race	YRS: 19 DFS: 38	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell
a. American Indian or Alaskan Native	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell
b. Asian	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell
c. Black or African American	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell
d. Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell
e. White	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell
f. Unable to Determine	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell
#9 Child Hispanic Origin 1 = Yes 2 = No 3 = Unable to Determine	YRS: 19 DFS: 38	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell
#10 Has Child Been Diagnosed with Disability?	YRS: 4 DFS: 26	YRS: 12 DFS: 12	YRS: 3	Reviewers identified information in the paper file indicating that the child had been diagnosed with a disability that was not reported to AFCARS.
#11 Mental Retardation	YRS: 19 DFS: 38	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell
#12 Visually/Hearing Impaired	YRS: 19 DFS: 38	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell
#13 Physically Disabled	YRS: 19 DFS: 37	DFS: 1	blank cell	blank cell
#14 Emotionally Disturbed	YRS: 4 DFS: 28	YRS: 12 DFS: 10	YRS: 3	In 18 of the records reviewers recorded a child had been diagnosed with an emotional disability that was not checked in the AFCARS file.
#15 Other Diagnosed Condition	YRS: 13 DFS: 35	YRS: 2 DFS: 3	blank cell	blank cell
#16 Has Child Ever Been Adopted? 1 = Yes 2 = No 3 = Unable to Determine	YRS: 13 DFS: 35	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell
#17 Age at Previous Adoption 0 = Not Applicable 1 = less than 2 years old 2 = 2-5 years old 3 = 6-12 years old 4 = 13 years or older 5 = Unable to Determine	YRS: 19 DFS: 38	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell
#18 Date of First Removal from Home	YRS: 18 DFS: 32	YRS: 1 DFS: 6	blank cell	DFS: Reviewers found earlier dates of removal than what was reported in AFCARS.
#19 Total Number of Removals from Home	YRS: 12 DFS: 27	YRS: 3 DFS: 9	YRS: 4 DFS: 3	DFS: 1 record could not be verified.In one record, there was no date reported in element #20, element #19 indicated 2 removals, but the reviewer found only one removal. In general, there were more removals found than what was reported in AFCARS.
#20 Date of Discharge from Previous Episode	YRS: 13 DFS: 24	YRS: 2 DFS: 11	YRS: 4 DFS: 2	DFS: 1 record could not be verified. In one record, element #19 correctly identified two removals, and the date of latest removal was different from the date of first removal. However, there was not a discharge date from a previous episode in the AFCARS record.
#21 Date of Latest Removal	YRS: 16 DFS: 28	DFS: 5	YRS: 3 DFS: 2	DFS: 3 records could not be verified.
#23 Date of Placement in Current Setting	YRS: 18 DFS: 34	YRS: 1 DFS: 1	blank cell	DFS: 3 records could not be verified.
#24 Number of Previous Placement Settings in This Episode	YRS: 18 DFS: 24	YRS: 1 DFS: 13	blank cell	DFS: 1 record could not be verified.
#25 Manner of Removal From Home for This Episode 1 = Voluntary 2 = Court Ordered 3 = Not Yet Determined	YRS: 19 DFS: 36	DFS: 2	blank cell	blank cell
#26 Physical Abuse	YRS: 19 DFS: 33	DFS: 4	blank cell	DFS: 1 record could not be verified.
#27 Sexual Abuse	YRS: 19 DFS: 37	DFS: 1	blank cell	blank cell
#28 Neglect	YRS: 19 DFS: 34	DFS: 3	blank cell	DFS: 1 record could not be verified.
#29 Parent Alcohol Abuse	YRS: 19 DFS: 35	DFS: 2	blank cell	DFS: 1 record could not be verified.
#30 Parent Drug Abuse	YRS: 19 DFS: 30	DFS: 7	blank cell	DFS: 1 record could not be verified.
#31 Child Alcohol Abuse	YRS: 19 DFS: 37	blank cell	blank cell	DFS: 1 record could not be verified.
#32 Child Drug Abuse	YRS: 19 DFS: 33	DFS: 4	blank cell	DFS: 1 record could not be verified.
#33 Child Disability	YRS: 19 DFS: 37	blank cell	blank cell	DFS: 1 record could not be verified.
#34 Child's Behavior Problem	YRS: 19 DFS: 33	DFS: 4	blank cell	DFS: 1 record could not be verified.
#35 Death of Parent	YRS: 19 DFS: 37	blank cell	blank cell	DFS: 1 record could not be verified.
#36 Incarceration of Parent	YRS: 19 DFS: 34	DFS: 3	blank cell	DFS: 1 record could not be verified.
#37 Caretaker Inability to Cope	YRS: 19 DFS: 35	DFS: 2	blank cell	DFS: 1 record could not be verified.
#38 Abandonment	YRS: 19 DFS: 33	DFS: 3	blank cell	DFS: 1 record could not be verified.
#39 Relinquishment	YRS: 19 DFS: 36	DFS: 1	blank cell	DFS: 1 record could not be verified.
#40 Inadequate Housing	YRS: 19 DFS: 31	DFS: 6	blank cell	DFS: 1 record could not be verified.
#41 Current Placement Setting 1 = Pre-Adoptive Home 2 = Foster Family Home (Relative) 3 = Foster Family Home (Non-Relative) 4 = Group Home 5 = Institution 6 = Supervised Independent Living 7 = Runaway 8 = Trial Home Visit	YRS: 18 DFS: 33	DFS: 3	YRS: 1	YRS: A record was reported to AFCARS with missing information. The reviewer noted the child was at home. DFS: 2 records could not be verified.
#42 Out of State Placement	YRS: 18 DFS: 36	YRS: 1 DFS: 1	blank cell	DFS: 1 record could not be verified.
#43 Most Recent Case Plan Goal 1 = Reunify with Parent(s) or Principal Caretaker(s) 2 = Live with Other Relative(s) 3 = Adoption 4 = Long Term Foster Care 5 = Emancipation 6 = Guardianship 7 = Case Plan Goal Not Yet Established	YRS: 15 DFS: 29	YRS: 4 DFS: 8	blank cell	YRS: Three cases reported with no case plan information. In two cases the youth had been in care for a year, the other case the child had been in care since October 2001. DFS: 1 record could not be verified.
#44 Caretaker Family Structure 1 = Married Couple 2 = Unmarried Couple 3 = Single Female 4 = Single Male 5 = Unable to Determine	YRS: 19 DFS: 27	DFS: 10	blank cell	DFS: 1 record could not be verified.In four cases the information in the AFCARS file was blank but the reviewer found the information in the paper file. In three cases the AFCARS response was "unable to determine" but the reviewer found the information in the file.
#45 1st Primary Caretaker's Birth Year	YRS: 19 DFS: 24	DFS: 13	blank cell	DFS: 1 record could not be verified.
#46 2nd Primary Caretaker's Birth Year	YRS: 19 DFS: 30	DFS: 6	DFS: 1	DFS: 1 record could not be verified.
#47 Mother's Date of TPR	YRS: 19 DFS: 30	DFS: 7	blank cell	DFS: 1 record could not be verified. In 3 cases the AFCARS record was blank and the reviewer found TPR dates.
#48 Father's Date of TPR	YRS: 19 DFS: 31	DFS: 6	blank cell	DFS: 1 record could not be verified. In 3 cases the AFCARS record was blank and the reviewer found TPR dates.
#49 Foster Family Structure 0 = Not Applicable 1 = Married Couple 2 = Unmarried Couple 3 = Single Female 4 = Single Male	YRS: 16 (institution setting) DFS: 35	DFS: 1	DFS: 1	YRS: There were two cases that reflected in AFCARS that the child was in a foster family home and the reviewers were not able to verify the information because it was not in the paper file. One record indicated missing data in AFCARS for element #41 and the information reported for this element was "not applicable." DFS: 1 record could not be verified.
#50 1st Foster Caretaker's Birth Year	YRS: 16 DFS: 33	DFS: 3	DFS: 1	YRS: There were two cases that reflected in AFCARS that the child was in a foster family home and the reviewers were not able to verify the information because it was not in the paper file. One record indicated missing data in AFCARS for element #41 and the information reported for this element was "not applicable." DFS: 1 record could not be verified.
#51 2nd Foster Caretaker's Birth Year	YRS: 16 DFS: 33	DFS: 5	blank cell	YRS: There were two cases that reflected in AFCARS that the child was in a foster family home and the reviewers were not able to verify the information because it was not in the paper file. One record indicated missing data in AFCARS for element #41 and the information reported for this element was "not applicable." DFS: In the five cases identified with errors, the foster family structure was "married couple" and the AFCARS response was a blank.
#52 1st Foster Caretaker's Race	YRS: 16 DFS: 37	DFS: 1	blank cell	YRS: There were two cases that reflected in AFCARS that the child was in a foster family home and the reviewers were not able to verify the information because it was not in the paper file. One record indicated missing data in AFCARS for element #41 and the information reported for this element was "not applicable."
a. American Indian or Alaska Native	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell
b. Asian	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell
c. Black or African American	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell
d. Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell
e. White	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell
f. Unable to Determine	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell
#53 1st Foster Caretaker's Hispanic Origin 0 = Not Applicable 1 = Yes 2 = No 3 = Unable to Determine	YRS: 16 DFS: 37	DFS: 1	blank cell	YRS: There were two cases that reflected in AFCARS that the child was in a foster family home and the reviewers were not able to verify the information because it was not in the paper file. One record indicated missing data in AFCARS for element #41 and the information reported for this element was "not applicable."
#54 2nd Foster Caretaker's Race	YRS: 16 DFS: 32	DFS: 6	blank cell	YRS: There were two cases that reflected in AFCARS that the child was in a foster family home and the reviewers were not able to verify the information because it was not in the paper file. One record indicated missing data in AFCARS for element #41 and the information reported for this element was "not applicable." DFS: In one record, the child was reported to be in a family foster home but was reported as "not applicable" in element #49 and #52-55 were blank. The reviewer identified information in the paper file. In five records, element #49 was reported and verified to be "married couple." The AFCARS file had blanks for #54 and 55.
a. American Indian or Alaska Native	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell
b. Asian	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell
c. Black or African American	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell
d. Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell
e. White	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell
f. Unable to Determine	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell
#55 2nd Foster Caretaker's Hispanic Origin 0 = Not Applicable 1 = Yes 2 = No 3 = Unable to Determine	YRS: 16 DFS: 32	DFS: 6	blank cell	YRS: There were two cases that reflected in AFCARS that the child was in a foster family home and the reviewers were not able to verify the information because it was not in the paper file. One record indicated missing data in AFCARS for element #41 and the information reported for this element was "not applicable."
#56 Date of Discharge	YRS: 19 DFS: 35	DFS: 2	blank cell	blank cell
#58 Reason for Discharge 0 = Not Applicable 1 = Reunification with Parent(s) or Primary Caretaker(s) 2 = Living with Other Relative(s) 3 = Adoption 4 = Emancipation 5 = Guardianship 6 = Transfer to Another Agency 7 = Runaway 8 = Death of Child	YRS: 19 DFS: 37	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell
#59 Title IVE Foster Care	blank cell	1	3	For elements #59 - #66: These elements were not verified during the review process.
#60 Title IVE Adoption	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell
#61 Title IVA AFDC	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell
#62 Title IVD Child Support	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell
#63 Title XIX Medicaid	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell
#64 SSI	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell
#65 None of the Above	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell
#66 Monthly Amount	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell

Number of Cases Reviewed = 59 Number of Cases Analyzed = 57 Number of Juvenile Justice Cases = 19

Adoption Case File Findings
State: Delaware
AFCARS Element	Data in AFCARS Matches Case File	Data in AFCARS Does Not Match Paper File	Questionable	Comments
#4 State Agency Involvement 1 = Yes 2 = No	29	0	blank cell	blank cell
#5 Child Date of Birth	29	0	blank cell	blank cell
#6 Child Sex 1 = Male 2 = Female	29	0	blank cell	blank cell
#7 Child Race	28	1	blank cell	blank cell
a. American Indian or Alaska Native	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell
b. Asian	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell
c. Black or African American	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell
d. Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell
e. White	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell
f. Unable to Determine	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell
#8 Child Hispanic Origin 1 = Yes 2 = No 3 = Unable to Determine	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell	Unable to locate information in case file.
#9 Has Agency Determined Special Needs	28	1	blank cell	blank cell
#10 Primary Basis for Determining Special Needs 0 = Not Applicable 1 = Racial/Original Background 2 = Age 3 = Membership in a Sibling Group 4 = Medical Conditions or Mental, Physical or Emotional Disabilities 5 = Other	25	3	1	In two records the response to element #9 was "yes," but the response in #10 was "not applicable."
#11 Mental Retardation	29	0	blank cell	blank cell
#12 Visually/Hearing Impaired	29	0	blank cell	blank cell
#13 Physically Disabled	29	0	blank cell	blank cell
#14 Emotionally Disturbed	29	0	blank cell	blank cell
#15 Other Diagnosed Condition	28	1	blank cell	blank cell
#16 Mother's Birth Year	24	1	2	There were also two records that the information could not be located.
#17 Father's Birth Year	10	3	16	There were 3 records that had a response in AFCARS of "1111," 6 had "1911," 1 had "1900" and 1 had "1901." In five of the records the date of birth could not be found in the file.
#18 Mother Married at Time of Birth 1 = Yes 2 = No 3 = Unable to Determine	23	2	2	In two records the information was not found in the file. There was one record marked as "unable to determine" in AFCARS but the reviewer found the information.
#19 Date of Mother's TPR	25	blank cell	blank cell	Four were blank and the reviewer was not able to find the information in the file.
#20 Date of Father's TPR	27	blank cell	blank cell	Two were blank and the reviewer was not able to find the information in the file.
#21 Date Adoption Legalized	28	blank cell	blank cell	One record was blank and the reviewer was not able to find the information in the file.
#22 Adoptive Family Structure 1 = Married Couple 2 = Unmarried Couple 3 = Single Female 4 = Single Male	28	blank cell	blank cell	One record was blank and the reviewer was not able to find the information in the file.
#23 Adoptive Mother's Year of Birth	28	blank cell	blank cell	One record was blank and the reviewer was not able to find the information in the file.
#24 Adoptive Father's Year of Birth	28	blank cell	blank cell	One record was blank and the reviewer was not able to find the information in the file.
#25 Adoptive Mother's Race	29	0	blank cell	blank cell
a. American Indian or Alaska Native	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell
b. Asian	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell
c. Black or African American	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell
d. Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell
e. White	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell
f. Unable to Determine	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell
#26 Adoptive Mother's Hispanic Origin 0 = Not Applicable 1 = Yes 2 = No 3 = Unable to Determine	blank cell	blank cell	20	Unable to locate information in the file.
#27 Adoptive Father's Race	29	0	blank cell	blank cell
a. American Indian or Alaska Native	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell
b. Asian	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell
c. Black or African American	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell
d. Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell
e. White	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell
f. Unable to Determine	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell
#28 Adoptive Father's Hispanic Origin 0 = Not Applicable 1 = Yes 2 = No 3 = Unable to Determine	blank cell	blank cell	29	Unable to locate information in the file.
#29 Relationship of Adoptive Parent to Child - Stepparent	28	blank cell	blank cell	In one record the information was not found in the file.
#30 Relationship of Adoptive Parent to Child - Other Relative	28	blank cell	blank cell	In one record the information was not found in the file.
#31 Relationship of Adoptive Parent to Child - Foster Parent	28	blank cell	blank cell	In one record the information was not found in the file.
#32 Relationship of Adoptive Parent to Child - Other Non-Relative	28	blank cell	blank cell	In one record the information was not found in the file.
#33 Child Was Placed from 1 = Within State 2 = Another State 3 = Another Country	28	1	blank cell	blank cell
#34 Child Was Placed by 1 = Public Agency 2 = Private Agency 3 = Tribal Agency 4 = Independent Person 5 = Birth Parent	29	blank cell	blank cell	blank cell
#35 Receiving Monthly Subsidy	28	1	blank cell	blank cell
#36 Monthly Amount	28	1	blank cell	blank cell
#37 Adoption Assistance	26	3	blank cell	blank cell

Number of Cases Reviewed = 29 Number of Cases Analyzed = 29

Foster Care Case File Findings State: Delaware

Foster Care Case File Findings
State: Delaware