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Home > Statistics & Research > AFCARS Assessment Reviews > Delaware Assessment Review > AFCARS Assessment Review - General Requirements Findings

AFCARS Assessment Review - General Requirements Findings
State: Arkansas

Requirement Finding/Notes
Checked (X)		 Compliance 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)).
  • 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).
 The State IV-B/E agency, Department of Services to Children Youth and their Families (DCYF)), includes the Division of Family Services (DFS), the Division of Youth Rehabilitative Services (YRS) and the Division of Child Mental Health (CMH).

The State is including all youth in YRS that are covered under section 422 of the Act (residential and community-based placements).

However, the CMH children that are placed in out-of-home care under the State agency care, placement, or supervision are not included in the AFCARS population.		 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).
 Not applicable, the State does not have interagency agreements with other agencies or tribes. blank cell
Includes Native American children covered under section 422(b)(10) of the Act, (45 CFR 1355.40(a)(2)). Yes (The State does not have any Federally recognized tribes.) blank cell
Out of State placements. The State making the placement submits the information on the child (45 CFR 1355.40(a)(2)). X blank cell
Includes all children who have been in foster care at least 24 hours (Appendix A - SECTION II). X blank cell
Does not include children who are in their own homes under the responsibility of the State agency (Appendix A - SECTION II). X 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). No. The State does not include children who are returned to their own homes while under the responsibility of the State agency. The State often returns children to their home for up to six months while still in the agency's care, placement or supervision. 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). Yes
(The age of majority in Delaware is 18.)		 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 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)). X 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):
 X blank cell
  1. Children who had been in foster care under the responsibility and care of the agency.
 X blank cell
  1. 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.
 X blank cell
  1. Children adopted for whom an adoption assistance payment or service is being provided based on arrangements with the State agency.
 X blank cell
Adoptions prior to 10/1/94, with title IV-E adoption subsidies, report aggregate data (45 CFR 1355.40(a)(3)). X blank cell
For children adopted out of state, the placing State reports the adoption data (45 CFR 1355.40(a)(3)). X blank cell
Voluntarily reports on all other adoptions. (Appendix B - Section II). X blank cell
Technical Requirements 4
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)). X blank cell
The data must be submitted in electronic form as described in Appendix C (45 CFR 1355.40(b)(1)). X blank cell
The data must be in record layouts as delineated in Appendix D (45 CFR 1355.40(b). X 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.

 Yes. (The State uses the same methodology for each report period.) blank cell
Appendix C, 45 CFR 1355 Electronic Data Transmission Format blank cell blank cell
Data file must be in ASCII format. X blank cell
Elements must be comprised of integer (numeric) value(s). X blank cell
All records must be a fixed length. X 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. X blank cell
Technical Bulletin #2, File Format blank cell blank cell
State uses correct file name for transmission. X 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. X blank cell
For children who were discharged during the period, information on the most recent episode is extracted. X 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. Not Applicable blank cell
State uses DCU and DQU on its data file. X 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. The State transferred data on all open cases at the time of SACWIS conversion, including YRS cases. Workers were to update through manual process at the time of conversion. If a case reopened, information could be entered at that time. The State staff indicated they were not sure if this practice is still being done. 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 State information system has the capability to record historical data on closed cases that may reopen. (Refer to historical "placement" screen.) blank cell