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Technical Bulletin #11State Receipt of AFCARS Summary and Detail Adoption and Foster Care Report Files |
This Technical Bulletin (TB) provides guidance that should be considered by States that are developing their Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System (SACWIS). In following the guidance, States may confirm that their SACWIS will meet the requirements of AFCARS.
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Section I | Data Collection | 1 | |
Section II | Data Extraction | 3 | |
Section III | Submission File Creation | 4 | |
Section IV | Transmission | 4 |
DATA COLLECTION
States that are developing their SACWIS should consider including the
following in the systems acceptance test to confirm that the SACWIS will meet the requirements of AFCARS.
Ensure all data elements listed in 45 CFR 1355.40 are in the system or can be derived from collected data.
Ensure definitions of collected data elements match AFCARS definitions as presented in the Federal regulation at 45 CFR 1355.40, including the appendices to 45 CFR 1355, and policy guidance issued by the Children's Bureau. Consider including the following:
Minimum information (including dates of removal and dates of discharge) on all episodes remains in the system or in the archives until the child reaches the maximum age of eligibility for child welfare services, as determined by State law and regulation.
State elements map to AFCARS elements properly, including:
Ensure that all date data elements are in the century year format, i.e., ccyyddmm.
DATA EXTRACTION
The system should extract all records to be submitted according to the "Permanent Data Extraction Method" in Program Instruction ACF-PI-CB-95-09, reissued May 23, 1995 (i.e. records are pulled based on the transaction date of discharge).
For children who are in care as of the end of the reporting period, extract information as of the last day of the reporting period.
For children who were discharged during the period, extract information on the most recent episode.
For children that discharged during a report period and were reported once for that report period, do not extract and submit the record a second time the next report period.
All elements should be extracted.
SUBMISSION FILE CREATION
The file must be created and received at ACF in ASCII format.
Each date element is formatted according to its AFCARS specification, i.e. either ccyymmdd, ccyymm, or ccyy).
All elements are right justified and padded with zeros to the left where necessary.
Summary files are created for each file, i.e. foster care and/or adoption, that is being submitted according to instructions in Technical Bulletin #2.
Delimiters are included only for files being submitted according to Technical Bulletin #2, e.g. if a foster care file is being submitted then include an "@".
Files are concatenated in correct order, according to Technical Bulletin #2.
If desired, optional footnotes may be attached in proper format, according to Technical Bulletin #3.
The State FIPS code is inserted into each record.
The proper report date (formatted as ccyymm) is inserted into each record.
It is highly recommended that data be edit checked prior to transmission using the AFCARS Data Compliance Utility software. See Technical Bulletin #8.
TRANSMISSION
Create a file with case record numbers either encrypted (according to guidance in Technical Bulletin #4 or using the supplied utility) or sequentially numbered. If the State is creating sequential numbers, maintain a crosswalk table for a minimum of six reporting periods
A CONNECT:Direct registration request is submitted to ACF; the communications link is established and tested; and data transmission to ACF is successfully completed.
Note:
All Technical Bulletins and policy guidance referenced in this document are available via the Children's Bureau's AFCARS web page, http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/stats_research/index.htm#afcars.