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Home > Statistics & Research > AFCARS Assessment Reviews > Vermont Assessment Review > AFCARS Assessment Review Improvement Plan

AFCARS Assessment Review Improvement Plan

AFCARS Assessment Review Improvement Plan - Foster Care Elements
State: Vermont
AFCARS Element Factor Task Date Completed Comments/Notes
#10 Has Child Been Diagnosed with a Disability?

1=Yes
2=No
3=Not yet Determined		 2

Complete modification to the system by adding the "health history screen."

Add training for caseworkers to ensure that workers update this data.

Encourage supervisors and workers to review and update, if necessary, this information at the time of the periodic review.

Update the data dictionary by removing the old codes "A" and "O."

Provide ACF with screen prints of the new "health history screen."

Provide ACF with the mapping/program code associated with extraction of data for element #10 once the new screen is implemented.

 Fall of 2002 blank cell
#17 Age at Previous Adoption

0 = Not Applicable
1 = less than 2 years old
2 = 2-5 years old
3 = 6-12 years old
4 = 13 years or older
5 = Unable to Determine		 2 Modify the screen to display a blank in this field. Submit revised screen print to ACF. blank cell blank cell
Date of Latest Removal 2 Exclude children who are removed from their home and initially placed in a juvenile justice facility. Program the system to report the date of latest removal the date the child is place in a "foster care" setting, not the date the agency is given care, placement or supervision of the child. blank cell blank cell
#24 Number of Previous Placement Settings in This Episode 2

Modify program to exclude respite placements from the count of placement settings.

The State must include non-hospital short-term emergency placements/emergency group homes (such as shelter care placements, treatment facility placements, and certain placements for juvenile justice purposes) for children/youth that are placed on an emergency or unplanned basis, and the placement lasts more than 24 hours.

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#26 Physical Abuse
#27 Sexual Abuse
#28 Neglect
#29 Parent Alcohol Abuse
#30 Parent Drug Abuse
#31 Child Alcohol Abuse
#32 Child Drug Abuse
#33 Child Disability
#34 Child's Behavior Problem
#35 Death of Parent
#36 Incarceration of Parent
#37 Caretaker Inability to Cope
#38 Abandonment
#39 Relinquishment
#40 Inadequate Housing

0-Does not Apply
1-Applies		 2

Modify screen to accommodate space for all "circumstances associated with removal."

Submit revised screen print to ACF.

Remove "Other Entry" on the "entry" list in the user manual on page 33.

For element #31, correct the database manual for "AC, child alcohol abuse" and "SC, child drug abuse."

Update the mapping form to include "AC, alcohol abuse child."

For element #36, correct the manual by changing "CI, caretaker incarcerated" to "IP, incarcerated parent."

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#43 Most Recent Case Plan Goal

1 = Reunify with Parent(s) or Principal Caretaker(s)
2 = Live with Other Relative(s)
3 = Adoption
4 = Long Term Foster Care
5 = Emancipation
6 = Guardianship
7 = Case Plan Goal Not Yet Established		 2

State should modify the program to remove the mapping of "care and protection" from a "7" to a blank after 60 days.

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#44 Caretaker Family Structure

1 = Married Couple
2 = Unmarried Couple
3 = Single Female
4 = Single Male
5 = Unable to Determine		 2

Map missing data to blank and remove defaults.

Add "civil unions" to the program code and map to "unmarried couple."

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#6 Child Birth Date 3

Train workers to use the 15th day of the month when estimating dates of birth.

Update the database manual.

Re-submit the 2001B and 2002A files so that ACF can re-evaluate the frequencies.

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#11 Mental Retardation
#12 Visually/Hearing Impaired
#13 Physically Disabled
#14 Emotionally Disturbed
#15 Other Diagnosed Condition

0 = Does not Apply
1 = Applies		 3

Add training for caseworkers to ensure that this information gets updated.

Encourage supervisors and workers to review and update, if necessary, this information at the time of the periodic review.

Review the AFCARS resource document for mapping disability information to AFCARS codes to ensure that all possible conditions are being captured and accurately reported to AFCARS.

Re-submit the 2001B and 2002A files so that ACF can re-evaluate the frequencies.

 blank cell blank cell
#16 Has Child Ever Been Adopted?

1 = Yes
2 = No
3 = Unable to Determine		 3 Re-submit the 2001B and 2002A files so that ACF can re-evaluate the frequencies. blank cell blank cell
#18 Date of First Removal from Home 3 Ensure the accuracy of this date based on changes made to element #21 regarding the exclusion of juvenile justice youth whose first placement is a juvenile justice facility. blank cell blank cell
#41 Current Placement Setting

1 = Pre-Adoptive Home
2 = Foster Family Home (Relative)
3 = Foster Family Home (Non-Relative)
4 = Group Home
5 = Institution
6 = Supervised Independent Living
7 = Runaway
8 = Trial Home Visit		 3

Update the user manual to reflect that if a child is removed from a caretaker that is a relative, and not the parents, and the child is returned to this caretaker for a "trial home visit," then code would be "RE, relative."

Re-submit the 2001B and 2002A files so that ACF can re-evaluate the frequencies.

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#49 Foster Family Structure
0 = Not Applicable
1 = Married Couple
2 = Unmarried Couple
3 = Single Female
4 = Single Male 		3

Ensure that workers enter information on provisional homes into the system.

Re-submit the 2001B and 2002A files so that ACF can re-evaluate the frequencies.

 blank cell blank cell
#63 Title XIX Medicaid

0-Does not apply
1-Applies		 3 Re-submit the 2001B and 2002A files so that ACF can re-evaluate the frequencies. blank cell blank cell
#65 None of the Above

0-Does not apply
1-Applies		 3 Re-submit the 2001B and 2002A files so that ACF can re-evaluate the frequencies. blank cell blank cell
#66 Monthly Amount 3 Re-submit the 2001B and 2002A files so that ACF can re-evaluate the frequencies. blank cell blank cell

 

AFCARS Assessment Review Improvement Plan - Adoption Elements
State: Vermont
AFCARS Element Factor Task Date Completed Comments/Notes
#10 Primary Basis for Determining Special Needs

0 = Not Applicable
1 = Racial/Original Background
2 = Age
3 = Membership in a Sibling Group
4 = Medical Conditions or Mental, Physical or Emotional Disabilities
5 = Other		 2

Map missing information to blank in element #10.

Remove the system-generated hierarchy for determining the primary basis for special needs from the program code. Program code must extract the primary basis as selected by the worker.

Update the user manual to include "age" in the list of the options to be reported for element #10.

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#15 Other Diagnosed Condition 2

Add "L" for "specific learning disability" to the program code and map to "other diagnosed condition."

Review the AFCARS resource document for mapping disability information to AFCARS codes to ensure that all possible conditions are being captured and accurately reported to AFCARS. (The document is located on the Children's Bureau's AFCARS web page.)

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#18 Mother Married at Time of Birth

1 = Yes
2 = No
3 = Unable to Determine		 2

Map "?" to "unable to determine" in the program code.

Re-code and distinguish "unknown" from "unable to determine."

Re-examine and modify abbreviations to be consistent throughout the system (i.e., "U" in this case is "unmarried" instead of "unknown").

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#22 Adoptive Family Structure

1 = Married Couple
2 = Unmarried Couple
3 = Single Female
4 = Single Male		 2

Remove the "unknown" option from the screen and update Database Manual.

Remove the option "other" from the selection list.

Add "civil unions" to the selection list and map to "unmarried couple."

Modify the entry screen by changing "mother/father" to "Parent 1" and "Parent 2" and collect gender.

Add training to ensure that workers select "civil unions" for unmarried couples.

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#29 Relationship of Adoptive Parent to Child - Stepparent
#30 Relationship of Adoptive Parent to Child - Other Relative
#31 Relationship of Adoptive Parent to Child - Foster Parent
#32 Relationship of Adoptive Parent to Child - Other Non-Relative		 2 Modify the field on the screen to allow workers to enter more than one relationship. blank cell blank cell
#9 Has Agency Determined Special Needs?

1 = Yes
2 = No		 3 Re-submit the 2001B and 2002A files so that ACF can re-evaluate the frequencies. blank cell blank cell
#35 Receiving Monthly Subsidy

1=Yes
2=No		 3 Re-submit the 2001B and 2002A files so that ACF can re-evaluate the frequencies. blank cell blank cell
#11 Mental Retardation
#12 Visually/Hearing Impaired
#13 Physically Disabled
#14 Emotionally Disturbed		 3

Add training for caseworkers to ensure that workers update this data.

Encourage supervisors and workers to review and update, if necessary, this information at the time of the periodic review.

Re-submit the 2001B and 2002A files so that ACF can re-evaluate the frequencies.

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#33 Child Was Placed from

1 = Within State
2 = Another State
3 = Another Country		 3

Provide training and clarification that ICPC cases are not to be recorded for this element.

Re-submit the 2001B and 2002A files so that ACF can re-evaluate the frequencies.

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