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Home > Statistics & Research > AFCARS Assessment Reviews > Hawaii Assessment Review > AFCARS Assessment Review Checklist

AFCARS Assessment Review Checklist - General Requirements
State: Hawaii
AFCARS Report Period Under Review: October 1, 2003 - March 31, 2004(2004A)

Requirement Finding/Notes Rating Factor
Population Requirements 2

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).
  • 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).

The State includes all children under the age of 18 for whom the Department has responsibility for care and placement.

The State does not have Title IV-E agreements with other agencies.

 blank cell
Includes Native American children covered under section 422(b)(10) of the Act, (45 CFR 1355.40(a)(2)). Yes. blank cell
Out of State placements. The State making the placement submits the information on the child (45 CFR 1355.40(a)(2)). The State includes children it places out-of-state and does not include those placed in Hawaii from other States. blank cell
Includes all children who have been in foster care at least 24 hours (Appendix A - SECTION II). The State does not include in its reporting population children that have been removed from home for less than 24 hours. blank cell
Does not include children who are in their own homes under the responsibility of the State agency (Appendix A - SECTION II). Yes blank cell
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 blank cell
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). The State does not claim title IV-E foster care funds on behalf of children over the age of 18. blank cell

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)).

  • 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 meets the criteria below must be reported. Criteria (Appendix B - Section II):
  1. Children who had been in foster care under the responsibility and care of the agency.
  2. 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.
  3. Children adopted for whom an adoption assistance payment or service is being provided based on arrangements with the State agency.
 The State includes in its reporting population all adoptions in which the State has involvement. blank cell
Adoptions prior to 10/1/94, with title IV-E adoption subsidies, report aggregate data (45 CFR 1355.40(a)(3)). Not Applicable blank cell
For children adopted out of state, the placing State reports the adoption data (45 CFR 1355.40(a)(3)). The State correctly includes out-of-state adoptions. blank cell
Voluntarily reports on all other adoptions. (Appendix B - Section II). Not Applicable blank cell
Technical Requirements 4
45 CFR 1355.40(b) Foster care and adoption reporting requirements blank cell blank cell
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 blank cell
The data must be submitted in electronic form as described in Appendix C (45 CFR 1355.40(b)(1)). Yes blank cell
The data must be in record layouts as delineated in Appendix D (45 CFR 1355.40(b). Yes blank cell

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.

 The State encrypts the case record number and maintains the same key. Only the Office of Information Technology (OIT) personnel that perform the encryption process know the encryption key. blank cell
Appendix C, 45 CFR 1355 Electronic Data Transmission Format blank cell blank cell
Data file must be in ASCII format. Yes blank cell
Elements must be comprised of integer (numeric) value(s). Yes blank cell
All records must be a fixed length. Yes blank cell
ACYF-PI-CB-95-09, Reissued May 23, 1995 blank cell blank cell
State extracts all records based on the transaction date of discharge. Yes blank cell
Technical Bulletin #2, File Format blank cell blank cell
State uses correct file name for transmission. Yes blank cell
Data Extraction blank cell blank cell
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 blank cell
For children who were discharged during the period, information on the most recent episode is extracted. Yes blank cell
File Creation blank cell blank cell
State attaches footnotes to files. No blank cell
State is using proper format for the creation of footnotes. Not Applicable blank cell
State uses DCU and DQU on its data file. Yes blank cell
Data Conversion blank cell blank cell
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.

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.		 Not Applicable blank cell