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This guide helps title IV-E agencies prepare for an Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) assessment review. It includes technical assistance and tools to conduct a self-assessment of a title IV-E agency’s data collection system and guidance for developing a system that supports AFCARS data collection.

Frequency Report Utility

September 3, 2012

The FRU can generate a report that provides an overview of the number and type of raw responses being generated for a particular data element to help title IV-E agencies assess and improve data quality.

This technical bulletin provides title IV-E agencies with information on the standards an AFCARS data file must meet to comply with the provisions of the AFCARS regulations found at 45 CFR §1355.41— §1355.47. This technical bulletin was last revised on October 6, 2023

This technical bulletin provides agencies with information required to create the AFCARS data files.  It provides technical specifications on the structural layout of the XML data and shares the XML schema for the Out-of-Home Care File and the Adoption and Guardianship Assistance File.  It also covers information on encryption of the file records. This Technical Bulletin was last revised on October 10, 2023.

Data Compliance Utility

September 3, 2012

The DCU contains the same data compliance checks as the federal AFCARS and creates a report showing if a title IV-E AFCARS file meets federal standards.

This Information Memorandum (IM) urges all state and tribal title IV-E agencies, courts, administrative offices of the courts, and Court Improvement Programs to work together to ensure that parents, children and youth, and child welfare agencies, receive high quality legal representation at all stages of child welfare proceedings, and to maximize allowable title IV-E administrative reimbursement for children who are candidates for title IV-E foster care or who are in title IV-E foster care and their parent(s) in foster care legal proceedings.

About AFCARS

July 2, 2012

This document provides general information about the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS).

Data Quality Utility

September 3, 2012

The DQU performs comprehensive checks on AFCARS data to help title IV-E agencies assess and improve data quality.

This technical bulletin addresses how to extract data for the Out-of-Home Care and Adoption and Guardianship Assistance Files defined in AFCARS Technical Bulletin #21. Additionally, this document includes guidance on extracting corrected files (previously referred to as subsequent files) after the required AFCARS reporting periods. This technical bulletin was last revised on October 2, 2023.

This webinar was the first session in the AFCARS Final Rule Training Series. This webinar provides an on the overview of Technical Bulletin 20, published October 29, 2020.  It includes a brief description and provides examples for the AFCARS 2020 out-of-home care and adoption and guardianship assistance data elements on the final rule.  It also provided guidance and direction to questions submitted on prior webinars.