Requirement

Rating Factor

Finding

Task

Estimated/ Completed Date

State’s Comments/Notes
ACF’s Sign-off Notes

Population

2

Foster Care

Includes Native American children covered under section 422(b)(10) of the Act, (45 CFR 1355.40(a)(2)).

The State is incorrectly including Tribal children for whom it or the county does not have responsibility for care and placement, but for whom the county provides funds to the Tribe for the placement of the child.  The State needs to exclude these records from the AFCARS reporting population. 

In those instances in which the county and the Tribe have joint custody of the child, these records are to be included in the reporting population. 

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).

Post site-visit analysis:  The State modified the program code to exclude youth that are 19 or older at the start of the report period.  (LN 217)

1) Provide training to ensure caseworkers enter a discharge date and reason for these youth correctly.
Once a child reaches 18, or 19, if appropriate, the State must report these individuals as discharged.  The reason for discharge would be “emancipation,” unless there is another appropriate outcome reason.

2) Implement supervisory oversight to ensure workers enter this information. 

3) ACF will review the data to ensure accuracy.

Adoption Population

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 meet the criteria below must be reported.  Criteria (Appendix B – Section II):
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.
     c) Children adopted for whom an adoption assistance payment or service is being provided based on arrangements with the State agency.

The State is not currently including children adopted through private agencies in which the State agency has a signed adoption agreement for subsidies or services.

1) The State must develop a method to collect and report all adoptions in which there is State agency involvement.

2) Provide ACF with the revised program code.

3) Provide ACF with prints of modified screens, if applicable.

Supervision/Training
3) Provide training to caseworkers to enter this information correctly. 

4) Implement supervisory oversight to ensure workers enter this information. 

5) ACF will review the data to ensure accuracy.