AFCARS Assessment Review: Foster Care Case File
Findings
State: Washington
AFCARS Report Period Ending September 30, 2002
AFCARS Element |
Data in AFCARS Matches Case File |
Data in AFCARS Does Not Match Paper File |
Questionable/Not Veriviable |
Comments |
#5 Most Recent Periodic
Review Date |
31 |
16 |
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Of the 16 cases that are incorrect, ten of the
records were missing data and all of the children had been in care
at least six months. There was one record for a child in care six
months and the reviewer found a periodic review report. In another
record the child had been in care for nine months but the reviewer
was unable to find a periodic report in the case file. The
remaining records were for children that had been in care for more
than a year. Some have been in care for nine years. |
#6 Child Birth Date |
46 |
1 |
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#7 Child Sex |
47 |
0 |
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#8 Child Race |
43 |
4 |
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In all four cases, additional races were noted
by the reviewer than what were reported to AFCARS. |
a. American Indian or Alaskan
Native |
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2 |
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b. Asian |
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c. Black or African
American |
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d. Native Hawaiian or Other
Pacific Islander |
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e. White |
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2 |
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f. Unable to
Determine |
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1 |
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#9 Child Hispanic Origin |
42 |
5 |
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The incorrect cases indicated in AFCARS "unable
to determine" and the reviewers were able to determine whether the
child was of Hispanic origin or not. |
#10 Has Child Been Diagnosed
with Disability? |
21 |
24 |
2 |
In every record the response was "no" for the
AFCARS report. In 24 cases the reviewers found diagnosed
conditions. |
#11 Mental Retardation |
43 |
4 |
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#12 Visually/Hearing
Impaired |
46 |
1 |
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#13 Physically Disabled |
47 |
0 |
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#14 Emotionally
Disturbed |
30 |
17 |
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#15 Other Diagnosed
Condition |
39 |
8 |
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#16 Has Child Ever Been
Adopted? |
45 |
2 |
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The incorrect records indicated in AFCARS that
the child had never been previously adopted and the reviewers found
that the child had been previously adopted. |
#17 Age at Previous
Adoption |
45 |
2 |
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#18 Date of First Removal
from Home |
43 |
4 |
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#19 Total Number of Removals
from Home |
45 |
2 |
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#20 Date of Discharge from
Previous Episode |
43 |
4 |
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#21 Date of Latest
Removal |
39 |
7 |
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The majority of errors were data entry. |
#23 Date of Placement in
Current Setting |
38 |
9 |
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There were four records that were incorrect due
to data entry errors, dates were off by one day. In two records,
the actual dates of placement were later than what was reported in
AFCARS. Two records had dates reported in AFCARS that occurred
after the report period end date. |
#24 Number of Previous
Placement Settings in This Episode |
34 |
11 |
2 |
There was about an equal distribution between
the number of records where the reviewers found fewer placement
moves (7) and more placement moves (5) than was reported to AFCARS.
The decreases were generally attributed to respite placements being
counted in AFCARS when they should not have been included. |
#25 Manner of Removal From
Home for This Episode |
38 |
8 |
1 |
There were two records indicating "not yet
determined" in the AFCARS file. In one case the child had been in
care 24 days, but it was under a voluntary placement agreement. In
the other record, the child had been in care since November 1998.
The remaining six cases that were incorrect were due to children
entering foster care under a voluntary placement agreement and then
the agency needing to obtain a court order after the 180 day
timeframe to obtain custody of the child. The AFCARS reports
reflected a "court order" for manner of removal, not a "voluntary
placement agreement." |
#26 Physical Abuse |
45 |
2 |
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For elements #26 - 40, all but three instances
were incorrect because not all applicable conditions were selected
by the workers. |
#27 Sexual Abuse |
43 |
4 |
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#28 Neglect |
43 |
4 |
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#29 Parent Alcohol Abuse |
37 |
10 |
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#30 Parent Drug Abuse |
39 |
8 |
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#31 Child Alcohol Abuse |
44 |
3 |
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#32 Child Drug Abuse |
46 |
1 |
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#33 Child Disability |
46 |
1 |
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#34 Child's Behavior
Problem |
44 |
3 |
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#35 Death of Parent |
47 |
0 |
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#36 Incarceration of
Parent |
44 |
3 |
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#37 Caretaker Inability to
Cope |
39 |
8 |
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#38 Abandonment |
44 |
3 |
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#39 Relinquishment |
38 |
0 |
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#40 Inadequate Housing |
46 |
1 |
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#41 Current Placement
Setting |
43 |
4 |
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In one case, the reviewer indicated the
placement setting should have been a "pre-adoptive home." Another
record indicated the child was in a group home, but the child was
in a foster family home under an umbrella placing agency. One
record should have indicated the child on a "trial home visit" not
in a foster home, and another should have indicated the child was
on "runaway" status."> |
#42 Out of State
Placement |
46 |
1 |
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#43 Most Recent Case Plan
Goal |
35 |
11 |
1 |
The incorrect records reflected case plan goals that had not
been updated. The results are:
AFCARS |
Documentation |
Frequency |
Reunify Adoption |
2 |
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Reunify Guardianship |
3 |
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Reunify Emancipation |
1 |
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Reunify Live w/Relative |
1 |
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Reunify Long Term FC |
2 |
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Guardianship/Long Term FC |
1 |
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Long Term FC/Independent Living |
1 |
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In three of the cases that indicated a goal of reunification in
AFCARS also had dates of TPR on the parents.
|
#44 Caretaker Family
Structure |
35 |
11 |
1 |
In eight of the incorrect records, the AFCARS
data indicates "unable to determine," but the reviewers found the
information in the case file. |
#45 1st Primary Caretaker's
Birth Year |
36 |
10 |
1 |
See the notes in element #44. There were several
records that indicated the caretaker structure was a single female
but there was no data reported to AFCARS for the birth year. |
#46 2nd Primary Caretaker's
Birth Year |
40 |
6 |
1 |
See the notes in element #44. |
#47 Mother's Date of TPR |
40 |
7 |
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#48 Father's Date of TPR |
40 |
7 |
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#49 Foster Family
Structure |
34 |
6 |
7 |
In three instances the AFCARS file indicated a
"single male/female" but the reviewer indicated the structure as
"married couple." One record was incorrect because the child was on
runaway status. Another record was incorrect because the child was
actually in a foster home, not a group home, so this data was
missing in AFCARS. One record had missing data reported to AFCARS,
but the reviewer indicated the foster parents were a "married
couple." |
#50 1st Foster Caretaker's
Birth Year |
20 |
6 |
21 |
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#51 2nd Foster Caretaker's
Birth Year |
20 |
6 |
21 |
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#52 1st Foster Caretaker's
Race |
19 |
6 |
22 |
There was one instance where more than one race
applied, but wasn't recorded on the system. |
#53 1st Foster Caretaker's
Hispanic Origin |
20 |
5 |
22 |
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#52 1st Foster Caretaker's
Race |
20 |
5 |
22 |
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#55 2nd Foster Caretaker's
Hispanic Origin |
20 |
5 |
22 |
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#56 Date of Discharge |
44 |
3 |
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Two of the records indicated dates of discharge
in the AFCARS file, but the children were still in care. |
#58 Reason for Discharge |
44 |
3 |
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See note in element #56. |
#59 Title IVE Foster
Care |
22 |
2 |
23 |
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#60 Title IVE Adoption |
22 |
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25 |
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#61 Title IVA AFDC |
22 |
1 |
24 |
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#62 Title IVD Child
Support |
22 |
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25 |
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#63 Title XIX Medicaid |
22 |
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25 |
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#64 SSI |
22 |
3 |
25 |
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#65 None of the Above |
22 |
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25 |
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#66 Monthly Amount |
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This information was not reviewed. |
Number of cases reviewed: 47
Number of cases analyzed: 47
Number of Juvenile Justice Cases: 0
Adoption Case File Findings
State: Washington
AFCARS Element |
Data in AFCARS Matches Case File |
Data in AFCARS Does Not Match Paper File |
Questionable/Non-verifiable |
Comments |
#4 State Agency
Involvement
1 = Yes
2 = No |
24 |
0 |
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#5 Child Date of Birth |
24 |
0 |
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#6 Child Sex |
24 |
0 |
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#7 Child Race |
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a. American Indian or Alaska
Native |
21 |
3 |
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b. Asian |
24 |
0 |
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c. Black or African
American |
23 |
1 |
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d. Native Hawaiian or Other
Pacific Islander |
24 |
0 |
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e. White |
22 |
2 |
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f. Unable to Determine |
24 |
0 |
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#8 Child Hispanic Origin |
20 |
2 |
2 |
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#9 Has Agency Determined
Special Needs |
15 |
3 |
6 |
In the three cases that did not match, the
AFCARS data indicates "no" and the reviewer indicated the response
is "yes." |
#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 |
15 |
3 |
6 |
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#11 Mental Retardation |
18 |
0 |
6 |
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#12 Visually/Hearing
Impaired |
17 |
1 |
6 |
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#13 Physically Disabled |
18 |
0 |
6 |
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#14 Emotionally
Disturbed |
16 |
2 |
6 |
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#15 Other Diagnosed
Condition |
18 |
0 |
6 |
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#16 Mother's Birth Year |
22 |
2 |
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#17 Father's Birth Year |
11 |
11 |
2 |
Reviewers noted that this information could be
found on the child's birth certificate. |
#18 Mother Married at Time of
Birth
1 = Yes
2 = No
3 = Unable to Determine |
0 |
9 |
15 |
All of the records indicated "unable to
determine" to AFCARS. In nine cases the reviewers were able to find
the information; the remaining records were marked as "not found in
file." |
#19 Date of
Mother's TPR |
21 |
3 |
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#20 Date of
Father's TPR |
20 |
3 |
1 |
In two of the incorrect files, the father was
deceased, but this date was not used for a TPR date. |
#21 Date Adoption
Legalized |
22 |
1 |
1 |
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#22 Adoptive Family
Structure
1 = Married Couple
2 = Unmarried Couple
3 = Single Female
4 = Single Male |
23 |
1 |
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#23 Adoptive Mother's Year of
Birth |
12 |
0 |
12 |
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#24 Adoptive Father's Year of
Birth |
12 |
2 |
10 |
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#25 Adoptive Mother's
Race |
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a. American Indian or Alaska
Native |
10 |
0 |
14 |
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b. Asian |
10 |
0 |
14 |
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c. Black or African
American |
10 |
0 |
14 |
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d. Native Hawaiian or Other
Pacific Islander |
10 |
0 |
14 |
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e. White |
10 |
0 |
14 |
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f. Unable to Determine |
10 |
0 |
14 |
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#26 Adoptive Mother's
Hispanic Origin |
9 |
1 |
14 |
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#27 Adoptive Father's
Race |
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a. American Indian or Alaska
Native |
9 |
1 |
14 |
In one record the family structure was
"unmarried couple," but the responses to the "father's race" was
"no" to all items. The reviewer noted this was a same sex couple.
The extract should have reported the information on the other
parent. |
b. Asian |
9 |
1 |
14 |
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c. Black or African
American |
9 |
1 |
14 |
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d. Native Hawaiian or Other
Pacific Islander |
9 |
1 |
14 |
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e. White |
8 |
2 |
14 |
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f. Unable to Determine |
9 |
1 |
14 |
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#28 Adoptive Father's
Hispanic Origin |
8 |
2 |
14 |
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#29 Relationship of Adoptive
Parent to Child - Stepparent |
21 |
0 |
3 |
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#30 Relationship of Adoptive
Parent to Child - Other Relative |
17 |
4 |
3 |
In four records, the relationship of the
adopting parent to the child was a relative. This item was marked
as "does not apply" and element #32 marked as "applies." |
#31 Relationship of Adoptive
Parent to Child - Foster Parent |
21 |
0 |
3 |
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#32 Relationship of Adoptive
Parent to Child - Other Non-Relative |
17 |
4 |
3 |
In two cases the reviewers noted that the
adoptive parents were also foster parents. |
#33 Child Was Placed
from
1 = Within State
2 = Another State
3 = Another Country |
21 |
0 |
3 |
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#34 Child Was Placed by
1 = Public Agency
2 = Private Agency
3 = Tribal Agency
4 = Independent Person
5 = Birth Parent |
20 |
1 |
3 |
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#35 Receiving Monthly
Subsidy |
13 |
1 |
10 |
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#36 Monthly Amount |
5 |
5 |
14 |
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#37 Adoption Assistance |
15 |
0 |
9 |
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