Complete the Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System (SACWIS) Assessment Review action plan item regarding the interface.

Until the interface is completed, the State must develop a method to collect and report whether a child support payment was made on behalf of a child during the six-month report period.

The State's program code includes the AFCARS internal consistency check to assess if the child has been in care for nine or more months.

The State has some localities that have Citizen Review Boards (CRB).

Remove the internal consistency check from the program code. Extract the date of a periodic review even if it occurred before the child would have been in care for nine months.

Modify the program code to check for periodic reviews held by the CRBs.

Require that either the CRB or the local case worker enter the date of the review.

Implement supervisory oversight to ensure these dates are entered into the system in a timely manner. Error reports can be sent to supervisors on a regular basis listing those children that have been in care for seven months and do not indicate a date of a periodic review.

This field is initialized to spaces then reset to "0, does not apply."

The code "998, other race not listed" is mapped to "unable to determine."

The program code contains the condition: "if a - e = 0, then f = 1."

The State's code of "888, question not asked" is mapped to "unable to determine." Post-site visit analysis: This code is no longer mapped in the program code.

Modify the program code to not reset this element to zero.

Remove this option and include actual other races that individuals identify. If an individual refuses to identify, or does not identify with one of the AFCARS race categories, then the State should have a value that represents "refused to provide race."

Remove the condition: "if a - e = 0, then f = 1." Missing race information must be mapped to blanks.

This field is initialized to spaces then is reset to "0, does not apply."

The code "998, other race not listed" is mapped to "unable to determine."

Based on the case file review, it appears workers may not be entering this data in a timely manner.

The State's code of "888, question not asked" is mapped to "unable to determine." Post-site visit analysis: This code is no longer mapped in the program code.

This field should remain initialized to spaces.

Remove this option from the selection screen and include actual other races that individuals identify. If an individual refuses to identify, or does not identify with one of the AFCARS race categories, then the State should have a value that represents "refused to provide race."

Describe how the State will provide monitoring oversight to ensure that workers enter this information.

The field is initialized to spaces then reset to "3, unable to determine."

State code "777, can't find" is mapped to AFCARS value "unable to determine."

State maps "none" to "unable to determine."

Based on the case file review, it appears workers may not be entering this data.

Modify the program code to leave this element initialized to spaces.

Map the code "777, can't find" to blank.

Map "none" to blank.

Describe how the State will provide monitoring oversight to ensure that workers enter this information.

State code "777, can't find" is mapped to AFCARS value "unable to determine."

Based on the case file review, it appears workers may not be entering this data.

Map the code "777, can't find" to blank.

Describe how the State will provide monitoring oversight to ensure that workers enter this information.

There are several screens on CAMIS that collects medical information.

There is no screen that contains the question whether the child has been diagnosed with a medical condition with the corresponding AFCARS responses.

Modify the input screen to collect this information as a question with all of the AFCARS responses.

Once the screen has been modified, revise the program code to check for each of the responses and map them to the AFCARS values.

Assess whether it is more feasible to have one "medical information" screen to collect all the information versus several input screens. The National Resource Center for Information Technology in Child Welfare (NRC-ITCW) has information on how other States have implemented the collection of medical information.

As a short-term solution, modify program code to check all input screens for medical information and extract the data.

The selection list has limited choices.

The selection list contains the option "other." It is not clear if this means "other diagnosed medical condition" or an "other psychological/emotional condition." The State may want to consider removing the option "other" and replacing it with more detailed options.

Review the AFCARS disability resource list for possible additional options to add to the selection screen.

Check workers narrative notes for other medical information that should be included on the selection list.

Modify the program code accordingly.

Remove or modify the option "other."

The screen was not initially designed with this as a question. State is piloting a new screen to collect this as a question and for workers to select the type of adoption.

State asked for clarification on whether this question should include "step-parent" adoptions.

Implement the screen layout submitted to, and approved by, ACF.

Modify the program code to extract the responses entered by the caseworkers on the new screen.

Modify program code and screen to reflect if the child's previous adoption prior to entering foster care was by a step-parent.

Initialized to spaces, reset to zero, then reset to "unable to determine" if the "episode outcome" is "adoption."

If the age at adoption is not known, the program code defaults to "unable to determine."

The program code calculates the age at the time of the adoption for element #17 by subtracting the date of birth from the end of the placement date.

Modify program code for this element to remain initialized to space.

Remove the default code and map missing data to blank.

Implement the screen layout submitted to, and approved by, ACF.

Modify the program code to extract the information entered on the screen.

The program code excludes:" "BA, Birth/Adoptive," "BN, Birth/Adoptive non-custodial," "HO, hospital," "OR, on the run," or missing data as placement s. For the report period under review this was correct. Changes in ACF policy went into effect October 1, 2002 and the State has not made changes to the program code.

See case file review findings for discrepancies.

Modify the program code to extract the date that a placement in either a child's "own home" or "runaway" began.

Modify how hospitalizations for non-acute care are collected and reported. For a stay that is for reasons other than acute care, record and extract the date the hospitalization began.

Map missing data to spaces.

Train caseworkers on the how to enter this information and ensure ongoing monitoring of accuracy of the data.

Initialized to spaces then reset to "3, not yet determined."

The State's code "PC, protective/police" is an option on the input screen but is not mapped into AFCARS.

The legal and placement component of CAMIS has problems associated with it and is being revised using Graphical User Interface (GUI).

Based on the case file review, it was determined the State is incorrectly reporting records where the child initially entered foster care under a voluntary placement agreement and after 180 days the agency obtained a court order to retain custody of the child. The AFCARS reports reflected a "court order" for manner of removal, not a "voluntary placement agreement."

See detailed case file findings.

Remove the re-initialization to "not yet determined."

Modify the input screen and separate "Protective custody" and "Policy authority."

Map "protective custody" to "court ordered" and "Police authority" to "not yet determined."

As the State makes changes with the new GUI screens, provide updates and screen prints to ACF for review and comment to ensure AFCARS related information is correctly incorporated. The State may want to contact the NRC-ITCW for assistance and prior review before sending to ACF.

Modify the program code to extract the voluntary placement agreement order that was first in effect, not the change to a court ordered custody authority.

Ensure that workers are entering this information in a timely manner.

For FC elements #26 - 40, the State's input screen has space for only four conditions, and the worker is required to enter only one condition.

This information must be "frozen" to reflect only the information known at the time of removal.

See the detailed case file findings for information regarding underreporting of this information.

Implement the screen layout submitted to, and approved by, ACF.

Based on information submitted by the State for the screen changes, this information will be frozen 30 days after the latest removal date or the end of a removal episode, depending which occurs first. Implement this procedure with the implementation of the screen.

Describe how the State will provide monitoring oversight to ensure that workers enter all applicable circumstances.

The program code maps "RE, respite" to "foster family home, non-relative."

Workers use the placement type "respite" for children placed in foster care under a voluntary placement agreement where respite is a service to the parents as part of in-home family preservation services.

The State does not include as a placement stays in a hospital for non-acute care

At the end of the routine if a "3" is in the work field, and #41 is blank, then it sets #41 to "3, FFH, non-relative." This includes all respites.

The program code must check whether the family is also a relative of the child.

Develop another placement type for caseworkers to use for children placed in foster care as a respite service. Or if another method is selected by the State to record and/or extract this information, provide the information to ACF.

The program code must be modified to extract non-acute hospitalizations as a placement setting.

Remove this routine from the program code.

Train workers to enter non-acute hospitalizations as a placement.

Describe how the State will provide monitoring oversight to ensure that workers enter this information.

Marital status is an updatable field and is not frozen to reflect the caretaker family structure at the time of removal.

State maps marital status of "separated" to "single male/female" according to the gender of the individual.

Based on the case file findings (see the detailed case file findings), caseworkers are not entering this information into the electronic case file.

Develop, describe to ACF, and implement an approach to ensure that the marital status reported to AFCARS reflects the situation at the time the child was removed.

Marital status of "separated" must be mapped to "married."

Describe how the State will provide monitoring oversight to ensure that workers enter this information.

Initialized to "0000."

State believes that there may be a problem with where the information is extracted from based on the case file review.

Based on the case file findings (see the detailed case file findings), caseworkers are not entering this information into the electronic case file.

This information must be initialized to blanks.

Assess the program code to determine if corrections must be made to accurately extract this data.

Describe how the State will provide monitoring oversight to ensure that workers enter this information.

State maps marital status of "separated" to "single male/female" according the gender of the individual.

Based on the case file findings (see the detailed case file findings), caseworkers are not entering this information into the electronic case file.

Marital status of "separated" must be mapped to "married."

Describe how the State will provide monitoring oversight to ensure that workers enter this information.

Complete the work to interface with ACES.

In the short-term, have the staff in the Federal funding unit enter this data for each child, as applicable.

State believes the number reported as "applies" is an undercount and that the program code needs correcting.

Once the interface to ACES is completed, medical information from Medicaid will be collected.

Assess and determine the cause of the undercount.

Provide ACF with the explanation and solution to correct the problem.

Complete the interface to ACES.

The code "L, legally free" is no longer used and is not an option on the screen for workers to select. Also, there is an edit on the system that prevents the entry of "L."

Based on the results of the case file findings, there were several records with incorrect dates for TPRs.

To make the program code run more efficiently, the routine that looks for "L, legally free" could be removed.

State should analyze the cause of the inaccurate dates for TPR.

Describe how the State will provide monitoring oversight to ensure that workers enter this information.

See the General Requirements findings for children in their own home while under the agency's responsibility for care, placement or supervision and children placed in out-of-home care for respite purposes.

There is a discrepancy between the numbers reported in element #56 and #58.

Workers must enter the date that children are discharged from the agency's responsibility for care, placement or supervision. See the General Requirements findings for children in their own home while under the agency's responsibility for care, placement or supervision and children placed in out-of-home care for respite purposes.

Describe how the State will provide monitoring oversight to ensure that workers enter this information correctly and timely.

See the General Requirements findings for children in their own home while under the agency's responsibility for care, placement or supervision and children placed in out-of-home care for respite purposes.

There is a discrepancy between the numbers reported in element #56 and #58.

Workers must enter the date that children are discharged from the agency's responsibility for care, placement or supervision.

Describe how the State will provide monitoring oversight to ensure that workers enter this information correctly and timely.

The State's code of "888, question not asked" is mapped to "unable to determine."

The code "998, other race not listed" is mapped to "unable to determine."

The program code contains the condition: "if a - e = 0, then f = 1."

Map "question not asked" to blank.

Remove this option and include actual other races that individuals identify. If an individual refuses to identify, or does not identify with one of the AFCARS race categories, then the State should have a value that represents "refused to provide race."

Remove the condition: "if a - e = 0, then f = 1." Missing race information must be mapped to blanks.

This field is initialized to zeroes.

The State's code of "888, question not asked" is mapped to "unable to determine."

The code "998, other race not listed" is mapped to "unable to determine."

The program code contains the condition: "if a - e = 0, then f = 1."

The program code checks for an "f" for female and maps the data accordingly. All other information is mapped to the elements for the father's information. This will not pick up data on same sex couples that adopt children.

Initialize this field to spaces.

Map "question not asked" to blank.

Remove this option and include actual other races that individuals identify. If an individual refuses to identify, or does not identify with one of the AFCARS race categories, then the State should have a value that represents "refused to provide race."

Remove the condition: "if a - e = 0, then f = 1." Missing race information must be mapped to blanks.

Map data for males and females separately.

For same sex couples, map the second parent to the AFCARS element for "adoptive father."

Train workers to enter all data on same sex couple information.

This field is initialized to spaces then reset to "3, unable to determine."

State code "777/can't find" is mapped to AFCARS value "unable to determine."

State maps "none" to "unable to determine."

Modify the program code to leave this element initialized to spaces.

Code "777" must be mapped to blank.

Map "none" to blank.

Element #26 is initialized to zero then reset to "2, no."

Element #27 is initialized to zero then reset to "3."

State code "777, can't find" is mapped to AFCARS value "unable to determine."

State maps "none" to "unable to determine."

The program code checks for an "f" for female and maps the data accordingly. All other information is mapped to the elements for the father's information. This will not pick up data on same sex couples that adopt children.

Initialize elements #26 and #27 to spaces.

Code "777" must be mapped to blank.

Map "none" to blank.

Map data for males and females separately.

For same sex couples, map the second parent to the AFCARS element for "adoptive father."

Train workers to enter all data on same sex couple information.

Initialized to "zero."

The program code selects a primary basis for AFCARS reporting. The program code extracts the first condition that is selected by the worker.

Initialize this element to blank.

Redesign the collection of this information. Workers must enter a primary basis for special needs.

State needs to ensure that "at risk" conditions are mapped to "other."

There is an error in the program code and element #12 is not extracted.

"Other medical" is not listed as an option on the screen and is not assessed in the program code.

The program code includes a routine that if the response to element #10 is "medical conditions or mental, physical or emotional disabilities," and there are zeroes in elements 11-14, then the response to element #15 is "applies."

Correct the error in the program code and extract information for element #12.

Add "other medical" as an option on the input screen.

Add program code to extract "other medical" to AFCARS.

State must re-evaluate use of "other medical' and determine if this option is including conditions that should be mapped to other appropriate AFCARS categories.

Remove this condition from the program code and map appropriately diagnosed conditions to the corresponding AFCARS condition. If there is no information, leave elements #11-15 blank.

Once the changes to the system have been made for foster care elements #10 through 15, revise the program code for adoption data elements #11 - 15 to check for each of the responses and map them to the AFCARS values.

As a short-term solution, modify the program code to check all input screens for medical information and extract the data.

Initialized to "3, unable to determine."

Currently, the State does not collect this information and there is no program code to extract this information. This is being addressed with the new system design changes.

Post site-visit analysis: The State submitted a screen print with this question added to it. This approach is adequate and meets the reporting requirement as a short-term solution.

Initialize to blank.

Implement the new screen.

Add program code to extract this information.

Change the location of the new screen to a point where the information can be recorded during foster care case management (closer to the time the child is removed from his/her home). The State should add this to the changes in the "placement/legal" screen.

Correct the program code to look for information on the actual adoptive parents and not the child's placement setting.

Map individuals that are "separated" to "married."

Map same sex couples to "unmarried couple."

The program code checks for an "f, female" and maps the data accordingly. All other information is mapped to the elements for the father's information. This will not pick up data on same sex couples that adopt children.

The case file findings indicated inaccurate information.

Map data for males and females separately.

For same sex couples, map the second parent to the AFCARS element for "adoptive father."

Train workers to enter all data on same sex couple information.

Further assess the cause for the inaccurate data and make appropriate corrections.

Line 4080 in the program code checks for birth mom or dad.

#32 - Derived from 29 - 31, if all are zero, then element #32 is "applies" (8310).

Post site-visit analysis: The State submitted revised screen prints with this information added as a field on the screen that is mandatory. The screen allows for a single selection only and must be modified to allow worker to enter all that apply.

Remove the line in the program code that is checking for birth mom or dad.

Remove the program code that derives responses to element #32 from elements #29 - 31.

Implement the piloted screen.

Modify the screen to allow workers to select more than one relationship.

Revise program code to extract data from the new screen.

Implement the new screen.

Revise program code to extract this information.

Develop a method to address the accuracy of this information.

Train workers to enter the information into the system.

Assess the cause for the inaccurate data and update ACF.

Outline approach State will take to improve the data.

Line 5110 in the program code needs to be moved to an earlier location in the program code.

Post site-visit analysis: This line has been moved to line 1750.

Assess the data to ensure it reflects the change and is accurate.

ACF will analyze subsequent data submissions.