Findings

This section provides the major findings resulting from the review of the State's AFCARS data collection. Tab A provides detailed information on the findings for the general AFCARS requirements, each of the foster care and adoption data elements, and the case file review. The AFCARS data used for the review was from the report period October 1, 2003 through March 31, 2004 (2004A).

As part of the post-site visit analysis, the State's documents, the data, the case file review findings, team member notes, and corrections to the program code submitted by the State are assessed to make the final determination of findings. As a result, the original rating factors were modified from those given at the end of the on-site review. The findings matrix in Tab A reports the previous rating with a "strike-through" mark on it, and the new rating. The AFCARS Improvement Plan in Tab B contains the final rating factor.

General Requirements

The State is in full compliance with both the foster care and adoption population requirements and the technical requirements.

Data Elements - Technical Changes

There are seven foster care elements and five adoption elements that require system modifications.

Foster care elements #11-15 and Adoption elements #11 - 15, diagnosed disabilities

The State made changes to the program code during the post-site visit period. However, analysis of one of the changes indicates it is incorrect. If any basis of special need other than medical, physical or psychological conditions is selected, elements #11 - 15 should be blank. A response of "applies" or "does not apply" should only be reported if the response to adoption element #10, primary basis for special need, is a medical, physical or psychological condition.

Foster care element #44, caretaker family structure

According to the programmer's notes in the revised program code, changes in the extraction code were made to this element. However, these corrections could not be found. The State needs to check the program code and re-submit the corrected code to ACF.

Foster care element #65, source of financial support

AFCARS asks whether certain Federal funds are sources of income for the child during the current report period. One of the options is "none of the above - child is receiving support only from the State or from some other source (Federal or non-Federal) which is not indicated above." In many instances, a source of income could be funds provided under title IV-B, subpart 1, of the Social Security Act (Child Welfare Services), or funds from a trust fund. The State's program does not check to see if any other source of income also applies for the report period. If it were to do so, this element may be "applies" in addition to any of the other sources of Federal support.

Data Quality

There were 35 elements (27 foster care and 8 adoption) that require additional training and supervisory oversight. The quality of the data needs to be improved. There are instances where missing data had been defaulted to a valid AFCARS value. Now that these defaults have been removed, underlying data entry issues will be unmasked. The State needs to incorporate ongoing data quality assurance in its newly implemented quality assurance methodology that it developed in response to its Child and Family Services Review.

One of the issues of accuracy of the data pertains to the "pre-adoptive" living arrangement. The State may be underreporting the number of children placed with the families that will be adopting them. It is important that this practice be reflected in the data that is submitted to ACF.

An issue related to missing data was in the area of foster parent information. The State contracts for placement services with private child placing agencies. However, data on the demographics of the foster families are not being providing to the State agency. This is required information that the State must provide and it is important to assess the make-up of families that volunteer to be foster parents.

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