AFCARS Assessment Review Findings - General Requirements

AFCARS Assessment Review Findings - General Requirements
State: Washington
Requirement	Findings/Notes	Rating Factor
Population Requirements		3
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).	No. The extraction program code excludes children that are in their own home, on runaway status, in juvenile rehabilitation settings, and detention centers. Post-site visit analysis: The State has modified its extraction code to include children with the following placement settings: "birth/adoptive," "birth adoptive non-custodial," "on runaway," "juvenile rehabilitation," "detention center," or "hospital" unless the placement is the only placement in the episode.	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).	The State has two signed title IV-E agreements with Indian Tribes and none with Juvenile Justice.	blank cell
Includes Native American children covered under section 422(b)(10) of the Act, (45 CFR 1355.40(a)(2)).	The State includes Native American children that are in the State's custody.	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 does not report children from other States that are placed in its foster care system	blank cell
Includes all children who have been in foster care at least 24 hours (Appendix A - SECTION II).	The State does include children that have been in care for less than 24 hours. Post-site visit analysis: The State modified the program code to exclude removals that begin and end on the same day.	blank cell
Does not include children who are in their own homes under the responsibility of the State agency (Appendix A - SECTION II).	Children that are under the State's protective custody that have never been removed from their homes are not included in the AFCARS population. The State provides respite services to families that receive intensive in-home family preservation services by placing the child in a foster home. A voluntary placement agreement is signed with the family allowing the agency to place the child in a respite foster home. Due to how the State designed CAMIS, these cases are entered into the system in order for a payment to occur. The State excludes these children in its AFCARS foster care population. Post-site visit analysis: After further review of the State's policy and the voluntary placement agreement, it has been determined that the State must include these children in the AFCARS population. The State has modified its extraction code to include children with a placement setting of "birth/adoptive" and "birth adoptive non-custodian" unless the placement is the only placement in the episode.	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).	Children returned home as an in-home dependency are excluded in the population extraction. The State codes "BA" and "BN" stands for "birth/adopt" and "non-custodial birth/adopt" and means the child is in his/her own home. Post-site visit analysis: See notes above.	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).	Post-site visit analysis: The State modified the program code to exclude individuals over the age of 18 unless there is a payment under title IV-E.	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)).	blank cell	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): 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.	Yes	blank cell
Adoptions prior to 10/1/94, with title IV-E adoption subsidies, report aggregate data (45 CFR 1355.40(a)(3)). (45 CFR 1355.40(a)(3)).	No	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		3
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)).	The program code extracts dates that occur outside of the AFCARS report period. The State needs to modify its extraction code to pull data for activity that occurs prior to the end of the report period. Post-site visit analysis: The State has modified its program code to check for and extract dates that occur prior to the end of the report period.	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 encrypts the record number. State uses the same key every report period. Also, the State uses the same encryption for NCANDS.	blank cell
Appendix C, 45 CFR 1355 Electronic Data Transmission Format	Yes	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
Technical Bulletin #2, File Format State uses correct file name for transmission.	Yes	blank cell
Data Extraction	blank cell	blank cell
State extracts all records based on the transaction date of discharge.	No. The State does not use the transaction date. State must modify the program code to extract the data based on the transaction date. Post-site visit analysis: The State has modified its program code to use the transaction dates for extracting the foster care file	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.	State does not use footnotes.	blank cell
State is using proper format for the creation of footnotes.	N/A	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.	Information on the removals must be entered in a chronological order. If the worker does not enter in the history before entering the current removal, the system will not allow him/her to create the history information.	blank cell