AFCARS Assessment Review Findings - General Requirements

AFCARS Assessment Review Findings - General Requirements
State: Texas

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).	Yes. The State's definition of a removal episode is: "A removal episode begins when a child is removed from their home due to abuse and/or neglect by PRS staff and has been placed into a substitute care placement within 30 days from the initial episode being recorded in the state's SACWIS (CAPS). The agency will also open a legal status on the child. The episode ends with the termination of the agency's legal responsibility by the court, adoption consummation, or aging out."	blank cell
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).	Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services (TDPRS) has two title IV-E contracts with juvenile justice agencies. One contract is with Texas Youth Commission (TYC), and the other contract is with Texas Juvenile Probation Commission. The contracts allow TYC and county juvenile probation departments to receive title IV-E foster care maintenance and administrative funds. The State does not have inter-agency agreements with Native American Tribes.	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)).	Yes	blank cell
Includes all children who have been in foster care at least 24 hours (Appendix A - SECTION II).	Yes	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).	The State is partially meeting this requirement. The State does include children that are returned home while under the State's placement, care or supervision. If the State agency is discharged from care, placement, or supervision any time prior to six months, this date is entered as a discharge date. However, the program code that selects the reporting population will exclude children who have been home for more then six months even if the State still has placement, care or supervision. The AFCARS reporting population is to include children that are returned home for a specified period of time, regardless of the length of time of the specified period. If after a specified period of time there is a court review and the judge orders another specified period of time for the child to remain home and retains the agency's placement, care or supervision, then the State is to continue including the child in its AFCARS population. If the return home is for a non-specified period of time, the State must consider the child discharged from care after six months of the return home. If the child re-enters care, then this would be a new removal episode. The State must remove from the program code the section that calculates a discharge date for children in their own homes for more then six months.	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).	Yes	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)).	Yes	blank cell
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):	Yes	blank cell
Children who had been in foster care under the responsibility and care of the agency. 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. Children adopted for whom an adoption assistance payment or service is being provided based on arrangements with the State agency.	The State staff indicated that due to conservative State policy defining special needs, it would be uncommon for a child that is being adopted through a private agency to qualify as special needs.	blank cell
State submitted the aggregate data file of adoptions that occurred prior to 10/1/94 and the State makes a title IV-E adoption subsidy payment (45 CFR 1355.40(a)(3)).	Yes	blank cell
For children adopted out of state, the placing State reports the adoption data (45 CFR 1355.40(a)(3)).	Yes	blank cell
Voluntarily reports on all other adoptions. (Appendix B - Section II).	N/A	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.	State uses an encryption routine.	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.	Yes	blank cell
State is using proper format for the creation of footnotes.	Yes	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 placements settings was included.	Yes	blank cell
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	blank cell

AFCARS Assessment Review Findings - General Requirements State: Texas

AFCARS Assessment Review Findings - General Requirements
State: Texas