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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Purpose

The FY 2002 Annual Performance Plan provides a comprehensive set of measures and outcomes for the major programs in the Administration for Children and Families (ACF). The combined FY 2002 Performance Plan and FY 2000 Performance Report identify the performance measures that we will use to track our progress toward achieving strategic goals. The plan includes linkages of the goals and objectives to the budget (see Budget Linkage Table in Appendix A.6) and to the Department-wide strategic plan (see Appendix A.3).

Role of ACF

With its partners, ACF supports strategies that create opportunities for individuals, families, and communities to be economically and socially productive. Our services and interventions are directed toward improving job skills, access to social services, family and community stability and independent living for low-income families, children, the elderly, persons with disabilities and distressed communities. ACF’s role in accomplishing its objectives is to provide leadership, funding and technical assistance to its partners, conduct research, promote best practices, and work to eliminate barriers to access of services.

Sustained commitment to continuous improvement has focused our attention on measurable results. Substantial progress has been made in the past several years in helping welfare recipients move to work, increasing child support payments, and providing child care and early learning services to low and moderate income families.

Status roving the lives of children and families is the foundation for the series of strategies, goals, objectives, measures and targets included in this plan. Statistics provide evidence for a continued focus on providing assistance to children and families. For example, data (1999) indicate that 16.9 percent of all children still live in poverty. Preschool enrollment for these children is still at only 40 percent. In 1999, only 1.8 million of children in low-income families are receiving child-care subsidies through the Federal Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) on an average monthly basis representing 12 percent of the children eligible for these subsidies. Over 900,000 children were victims of substantiated or indicated child abuse or neglect in 1998. Only twenty-one percent of children who exit foster care achieve permanency after three or more years; 33 percent of the children currently in care (as of September 1999) have been in care for three or more years. While the welfare caseload has fallen by 8.3 million recipients (from 14.1 million in January 1993 to 5.8 million in June 2000, a drop of 59 percent), there remains the need to make continued investments in raising wages and other incentives to make rewards of work economically meaningful. Although many families work hard, they struggle financially to support their children.

Vision, Mission and Goals

VISION STATEMENT

We are committed to the vision of strong, healthy, supportive communities where families and individuals are empowered to increase their economic and social well-being and productivity and to programs that contribute to the protection and healthy development of children.

MISSION STATEMENT

The Administration for Children and Families provides national leadership and creates opportunities for low-income, disadvantaged families and individuals to lead economically and socially productive lives, for children to develop into healthy adults, and for communities to become more prosperous and supportive of their members.

ACF STRATEGIC GOALS

Increase economic independence and productivity for families

Improve healthy development, safety and well-being of children and youth

Increase the health and prosperity of communities and Tribes

Build a results-oriented organization

Organizational Structure and Program Responsibilities

ACF employs 1500 people in Washington, DC and the ten regional offices (five regions also act as hub sites for activities that affect several regions). ACF was established in 1991, bringing together several pre-existing programs; it is organized into eight program offices and five staff offices.

ACF is responsible for over 60 programs that promote the economic and social well being of families, children, individuals and communities. With its partners, ACF administers the State-Federal welfare reform program, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) providing assistance to an average of 5.88 million persons monthly as of June 2000. ACF administers the national child support enforcement system collecting almost $18 billion in FY 2000 in payments from non-custodial parents referred for collection follow-up. It also administers the Head Start program serving 857,664 pre-school children. ACF provides funds to assist low-income families in paying for child care and supports State programs to provide foster care and adoption assistance.

How Goals, Outcomes and Measures were Selected

ACF focuses on outcomes because they not only convey a sense of value to the American people, but they provide us with a focus for working with a broad range of partners, local communities, non-profit organizations and States, to accomplish agreed upon goals. Representative performance measures address activities in each program area. These measures, and the discussion of strategies under each, are generally illustrative of the major activities within ACF.

The targets reflect a combination of current funding, past funding, program initiatives and the actions of our partners. While there is a certain aspect of "stretch" in some targets, we are committed to identifying targets that are realistic and challenging and that move results in the right direction.

This is our fourth year of performance planning. In a number of cases, we have improved our ability to define measures and in some cases, we have developed entirely new measures. New strategies and initiatives have been provided for the replacement measures. We will continue to improve and revise measures with the purpose of improving management and accountability. The budgeted resources support the broad range of ACF goals. A detailed budget linkage table in the appendix displays program activities that have been or consolidated to support our goals and objectives.

Reader’s Guide

ACF has followed a standardized format provided by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).

Part I provides general information describing the role of ACF in program implementation, coordination and planning and explains how our goals, targets and levels of performance support the mission and long-term goals. This section includes the context for performance measurement including the mission and long term goals, description of the organization, programs and strategies supporting the four strategic goals, description of partnerships and a brief summary of the FY 2000 performance report including performance success and challenges.

Part II includes the FY 2002 plan and the FY 2000 report covering fourteen programs with the accompanying measures and targets under the appropriate ACF goals and objectives. Each program section includes a narrative description providing the context, legislative intent and broad program goals; program activities, strategies and resources; program coordination, partnerships and cross-cutting issues; and program wide performance and data issues. This section also includes a summary table with FY 1999 -- 2002 targets and performance information for the baseline year. The total program funding reflects the dollars in the President’s FY 2002 Budget and appropriated funds (aggregated by program area) for FY 2001, 2000 and 1999. See Detailed Budget Linkage Table in Appendix A.6 for line items included in each program total. This section is followed by a presentation of performance measures for FY 2002 and the final measures for FY 2001.

The Appendices include sections on ACF’s approach to performance measurement; changes and improvements over the previous year; linkage to the DHHS’ strategic plan; itemization of new data reported for FY 1999 and FY 2000; status of FY 2000 data and detailed changes between the FY 2001 plan and the revised final FY 2001 plan. The appendices also include sections on a variety of critical performance measurement linkages, e.g., information technology, cost accounting, program evaluation and budget.

Highlights of Accomplishments

1. We helped to improve the economic independence of low-income families.

Welfare caseloads have fallen to historic new lows; they are at their lowest level since 1965, at 2.1 percent of the population as of June 2000, based on the monthly average.

In 1996, a comprehensive, bipartisan welfare reform law, the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, dramatically changed the nation's welfare system into one that requires work in exchange for time-limited assistance. States, Tribes, and Territories receive block grants from ACF under the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program to cover benefits, administrative expenses, and services.

The States, Tribes and Territories have great flexibility to design and implement programs to move clients from welfare to work, including eligibility requirements, benefit levels, and services provided, as long as they are consistent with the purposes of the program.

One of the purposes is to encourage the formation and maintenance of two-parent families. Of the 38 States, D.C. and Guam with two-parent family programs, 28 States met the FY 1999 target rate for work participation of two-parent families. The legislation established the two-parent participation rate at 75% for FY 1998 and 90 percent for FY 1999 and subsequent years. States have the option to move their two-parent cases into a separate State program and thus avoid the two-parent work participation requirements. While some States have exercised this option, the statutory two-parent participation target of 90 percent remains a rigorous standard.

 

In December 2000, DHHS awarded $200 million in bonuses to 28 states with the best records for FY 1999 (the most recent year for which data is available) in moving parents on welfare into jobs and assuring their success in the workforce. According to reports filed by the 48 States and the District of Columbia competing for the bonus, more than 1.2 million parents on welfare went to work in the period between Oct. 1, 1998, and Sept. 30, 1999. Overall, 43 percent of welfare recipients entered the work force in 1999 in comparison to 39 percent in 1998. Retention rates in FY 1999 were also high: of those who obtained jobs, 77 percent were still working in the next quarter. The States also reported an average increase in earnings of 22 percent from $2,114 in the first quarter of employment to $2,578 in the third quarter for FY 1999. In FY 1998, States reported an average increase of 24 percent.

The challenges for TANF will continue in four areas: reaching all families, moving families into work and promoting success at work, transforming the welfare office, and maintaining the investment. ACF continues to implement a wide range of projects to help the States produce the desired outcomes, such as training, technical assistance and sharing of best practices, and sponsoring research.

2. We increased parental involvement and financial support of non-custodial parents in the lives of their children.

The most recent census data show that, in the spring of 1998, 14 million families with children had a parent living elsewhere. These custodial parent families, of which 85 percent were headed by women and 15 percent by men, comprised one fourth of all families with their own, never married children under 21. Of the 14 million custodial parent families, only 7.9 million (56 percent) of the custodial parents had awards or agreements for child support.

To ensure that parents support their children, ACF partners extensively with a range of Federal, State, and local entities and provides funding and technical assistance for identifying parents and assets of non-custodial parents who have not supported their children.

As of January 31, 2001, 52 States and Territories submitted data requests to the Federal Case Registry, which locates absent parents across State lines. The FCR contains 15.5 million child support cases. When absent parents are found, ACF promotes State use of the IRS tax refund and administrative offsets for child support. As part of the total $17.9 billion collected for child support in FY 2000, a record $1.4 billion in delinquent child support was collected in calendar year 2000 using the tax refund and administrative offset, representing a 100 percent increase since 1992. More than 1.42 million families benefited from these collections.

 

As of January 31, 2001, 52 States and 146 agencies are reporting data to the National Directory of New Hires, another tool for identifying absent parents. During FY 2000 more than 690 million records were posted there that matched child support orders to employment records with a value in excess of $3 billion. In addition, to match delinquent parents with financial records, ACF is operating the new multi-State financial institution data match system and is working with States to implement the in-State financial institution data match system.

3. We continued to promote access to quality child care services to help low-income working parents and their children.

In order to break the cycle of poverty and dependency, it is essential to focus on both the parents and the next generation. Parents are more likely to seek employment and maintain jobs if they have access to and confidence in their child care arrangements. According to new State-reported statistics for FY 1999, 1.8 million children in low-income families are receiving child-care subsidies through the Federal Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) on an average monthly basis. This is an increase from the 1.5 million children served in 1998. A continuing challenge is to reach the estimated remaining 88 percent of the 15 million children who are eligible for child care subsidies under Federal rules.

The quality of child care affects the health and safety, as well as the cognitive, emotional, and social development of children. The National Institute for Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) study of early child care, When Child Care Classrooms Meet Recommended Guidelines for Quality (1998), shows that children attending centers meeting professional standards for quality score higher on school-readiness and language tests and have fewer behavioral problems than their peers in centers not meeting such standards.

ACF provides Federal funds through CCDF to States, Territories and Tribes and works with State administrators, professional groups, service providers, and others to promote quality child care. States are required to spend at least four percent of Federal CCDF funds to improve the quality of child care and offer additional services to parents. In addition, funds are earmarked for resource and referral services and school-age care, infant and toddler care, and additional quality improvement activities. States are continuing to expand the innovative ways to improve quality. As an example, several States have already implemented, or are implementing, programs of tiered licensing based on the quality of care.

Based on the combined data of independent national organizations who have information about provider accreditation and certification, there were 9,535 accredited child care facilities nationwide in FY 2000 (reported as of November 2000). The FY 2000 number of accredited facilities will be used as the baseline for tracking future improvements.

On August 30, 2000, DHHS issued final regulations to implement High Performance Bonuses (HPB) under the TANF Program. These regulations included a child care HPB to reward States that effectively support working families with child care assistance.

4. We improved the healthy development and learning readiness of preschool children.

Head Start is a national program that provides comprehensive developmental education, health, mental health, nutrition, and social services for America’s low-income, preschool children ages three to five and their families. The primary goal of Head Start is to promote the social competence and school readiness of low-income children. 1,525 community-based organizations develop unique and innovative programs. In 2000, there were 18,000 centers and 45,000 classrooms, serving 857,664 children.

Head Start children have been found to be ready for school, with the cognitive and social skills that indicate readiness to learn more in kindergarten. For example, in an age-appropriate assessment of word knowledge, the percentage of children scoring close to or above the national mean increased from only one in four when they started the program in the fall to more than one in three in the spring -- nearly a 40% increase.

As in child care, Head Start children experience better outcomes when they have good classroom quality. Observed classroom quality is good on average with no classrooms scoring below a minimum standard of quality. An element of that quality is the qualification of the teacher. For Head Start, that means classroom teachers who have a degree in early childhood education (ECE), a child development associate credential, a State-awarded preschool certificate, a degree in a field related to ECE plus a State-awarded certificate or who are in CDA training and have been given a 180-day waiver, consistent with the provisions of Section 648A(a)(1) of the Head Start Act.

Performance Measure	Target	Actual
Increase the number of classroom teachers with appropriate education for Head Start	FY 00: 100%	FY 00: 94% FY 99: 93% FY 98: 95%

 

The target for FY 2000 established in the legislation for qualified teaching staff was 100%; the actual was 94%. This shortfall is due to a combination of staff turnover and/or limited access to training and credentialing opportunities in certain areas of the country. In partnership with institutions of higher education, Head Start is working to ensure that a majority of teachers obtain associate’s or bachelor’s degrees in early childhood education over the next few years.

5. We increased the safety and security of children and youth.

ACF funds a number of programs that focus on preventing maltreatment of children in troubled families, protecting children from abuse, and finding permanent placements for those who cannot safely return to their homes. Programs such as Foster Care, Adoption Assistance, and Independent Living provide stable environments for those children who cannot remain safely in their homes, assuring the child's safety and well-being while their parents attempt to resolve the problems that led to the out-of-home placement. When the family cannot be reunified, foster care provides a stable environment until the child can be placed permanently with an adoptive family. Adoption Assistance funds are available for a one-time payment for the costs of adopting a child as well as for monthly subsidies to adoptive families for care of the child.

The Adoption Incentives program was enacted into law by the Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997. The passage of this incentive program along with State, local and private initiatives focusing attention on the needs of children in foster care awaiting permanent adoptive families, are resulting in unprecedented increases in the number of children adopted from foster care.

Performance Measure	Target	Actual
Increase the number of adoptions.	FY 00: 46,000 FY 99: 41,000	FY 99: 46,000 FY 98: 36,000 FY 97: 31,000 FY 96: 28,000 FY 95: 26,000

 

Under the law, States may receive incentive funds for each adoption finalized in a fiscal year that exceeds the established baseline number of adoptions. ACF has undertaken a number of activities designed to improve overall performance in child welfare. On January 25, 2000, HHS published a final rule in the Federal Register to establish new approaches to monitoring State child welfare programs. The new rule plays an important role in improving services to, and outcomes for, abused and neglected children, children in foster care, and children awaiting adoptive families. It promotes increased safety for children who are maltreated; quicker movement to permanent homes and families for children in foster care; and enhanced well-being for families served by State agencies.

Performance Measures

ACF continues to make improvements in the performance measurement of its programs. For FY 2000, all ACF programs except the Social Services Block Grant program have performance measures. (The Assets for Independence Program was added in the FY 2001 plan.) As ACF continues to gain experience in performance measurement, measures are being refined, added, dropped and replaced. As of this submission, we are able to report FY 1999 data on forty-five of the forty-seven measures. As of March 2001, we are able to report on sixteen of the fifty-one FY 2000 targets. Most of the measures in our plan rely on State data systems; final data are available nine to twelve months after the end of the fiscal year. Missing FY 2000 data will be reported in subsequent performance reports as they become available.

Many FY 1999 measures have been replaced and targets adjusted in FY 2001 and FY 2002. In the individual program summary sections, there is a fuller explanation of the difference between targets and actual achievements. As more trend data are collected, ACF will be better able to evaluate program strategies and adjust future performance targets.

The FY 2002 performance plan has sixty-eight measures. The Individual Development Accounts program is the only program still lacking performance measures. Additionally, ACF has a number of new initiatives that will require further development and discussions with potential partners before measures or targets can be identified.

 

 

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