AFCARS Assessment Review Findings - General Requirements

AFCARS Assessment Review Findings - General Requirements
State: Wyoming

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)).	blank cell	blank cell
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). 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).	Juvenile Justice and Child welfare are separate divisions within the State DFS agency. Both divisions use WYCAPS. WY claims IV-E reimbursement for eligible JJ kids that are reported to AFCARS. The State is not reporting children for whom it retains custody that were in foster care placements and entered the system through child welfare, if the child enters a detention facility. The selection program code excludes children in placement settings "boys school," girls school," "jail," "state hospital," and "detention" placement settings. The State must continue reporting these children regardless of the placement setting. Children in foster care sent to a detention facility are to be reported to AFCARS, as long as the agency retains responsibility for placement of the child, and the intent is that the child will return to an agency placement. The foster care episode has not ended. If the point of entry is juvenile justice, however, the child is only tracked if IV-E dollars are claimed. (See Children's Bureau's Child Welfare Policy Manual, Section 1, AFCARS.)	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 State excludes those records on children who have been in foster care for less then 24 hours.	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" (ACYF-PIQ-94-01, 07/08/1994,and ACYF-PIQ-95-01, 3/8/1995).	If the child is returned home while still in the care of the agency, the State is not reporting the child to AFCARS.	blank cell
Includes all children the State has placement and financial payment responsibility for, but the State does not have custody (ACYF-PIQ-95-01, 3/8/1995).	Yes	blank cell
Includes youth over the age of 18 if a payment is being made on behalf of the child (ACYF-PIQ-95-01, 3/8/1995).	Yes	blank cell
45 CFR 1355.40(a) Scope of the data collection system - adoption	blank cell	blank cell
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 nonrecurring 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. Failure to report on these adoptions will result in penalties being assessed. Criteria (Appendix B - Section II):	blank cell	blank cell
Children who had been in foster care under the responsibility and care of the agency.	blank cell	blank cell
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.	blank cell	blank cell
Children adopted for whom an adoption assistance payment or service is being provided based on arrangements with the State agency.	blank cell	blank cell
Adoptions prior to 10/1/94, with title IV-E adoption subsidies, report aggregate data (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).	No The State is excluding children that are in "independent living" from the population selection routine.	blank cell
Technical Requirements		1
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	blank cell	blank cell
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
Century Year, ACYF-IM-CB-96-08, issued 4/17/1996	The State uses a "rule of 35" to create the four digit year. If the number given for the year is less then 35 the default is 2000. If is greater then 35 then the default is 19. All dates must be entered as 4 digits and older dates should be updated by the caseworkers.	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.	No	blank cell
File Creation	blank cell	blank cell
State attaches footnotes to files.	No	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 placement 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.	The system has the capability of recording historical information. A data entry clean-up screen was added. A "clean-up" report was sent to the field to review/verify the data. The State brought over information from 1992, open and closed cases.	blank cell

AFCARS Assessment Review Findings - General Requirements State: Wyoming

AFCARS Assessment Review Findings - General Requirements
State: Wyoming