The 50 State Chartbook on Foster Care

A data table comparing US Foster Care data from one or two states.
State Children’s Agency Background Characteristics
State Children’s Agency Name And Website
Children’s Agency Divisions
Source: State Child Welfare Interview 2012
Child Welfare Adminstrative System
Source: Child Protection Administration (APHSA)
Unionized Child Welfare Workers
Source: State Child Welfare Interview 2012
Acted Under A Consent Decree In 2012
Tip: A consent decree is a settlement from a court order. Although a consent decree may apply to multiple situations, in child welfare a consent decree often results in the courts requiring child welfare systems to comply with specific service delivery requirements. The court maintains oversight of the agency's performance in these required areas.
Source: State Child Welfare Interview 2012
Acted Under A Consent Decree In 2006-2011
Source: State Child Welfare Interview 2012
Demographics Of Children In Out-Of-Home Placements
Number And Percent Of Children In Out-Of Home Placements Compared To Total State Child Population (Yr)
Source: Children’s Defense Fund http://www.childrensdefense.org/child-research-data-publications/data/state-data-repository/child-welfare-financing-state-factsheets-2010.html and are “most current available as of November 2009”
Total State Population Of Children 18 Years Of Age Or Younger
Source: Children's Defense Fund 2010 1) Child population: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, "Estimates of the Residential Population by Selected Age Groups for the United States, States, and Puerto Rico: July 1, 2008", Calculations by CDF; Children living in poverty and rate of children living in poverty: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, 2008 American Community Survey, Table B17001. Calculations by CDF.
Total Number Of Children In Out-Of-Home Placements
Tip: Children in out of home placement have been removed from their biological family home and are in the care of the child welfare system. Out of home placements include foster homes, kinship homes, and residential care settings.
Source: Children’s Defense Fund 2010 2) National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect. (2007). National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NDACAN) Child File 2007 [data file], available at http://www.ndacan.cornell.edu/index.html
Percent Of Children In Out-Of-Home Placements
Source: Calculated from the responses to prior 2 items.
Number And Percent Of Children In Out-Of-Home Placement By Type Of Placement (Yr)
Source: NDACAN Foster Care File Dataset 153 (2010)
Foster Care
Kinship Foster Care
Nonkinship Foster Care
Congregate Care
Group Home
Institution
Other
Supervised Independent Living
Runaway
Trial Home Visit
Pre-Adoptive
Home
Race/Ethnicity Of Children In Foster Care By Percent (Yr)
Source: NDACAN Foster Care File Dataset 153 (2010)
American Indian/Alaska Native
Asian
Black/African American
Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
White
Hispanic (Any Race)
Multiple Races
State’s Enhanced Models Of Service Delivery In Foster Care
Levels Of Enhanced Foster Care Available
Tip: Enhanced foster care is a generic term for the diverse range of enhanced, intensive, specialized, and/or therapeutic models of foster care.
Source: State Child Welfare Interviews 2012
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Level 4
Level 5
Level 6
Therapeutic Foster Care (Or Equivalent) Program Name
Source: State Child Welfare Interview 2012
Therapeutic Foster Care Eligibility Criteria
Source: State Child Welfare Interview 2012
Therapeutic Foster Care Screening Or Assessment Tool To Determine Child’s Eligibility
Source: State Child Welfare Interview 2012
Standards Of Care Differentiating Therapeutic Foster Care From Traditional (Or Regular) Foster Care
Source: State Child Welfare Interview 2012
Minimum Hours Of Foster Care Training
Maximum Number Of Children Allowed In Foster Home
Required Structured Daily Activity
Required Counseling
Required Case Management
Other Requirements
Regulatory Definition (State Statue) For Therapeutic Foster Care
Source: State Child Welfare Interview 2012
Therapeutic Foster Care Delivery Model
Source: State Child Welfare Interview 2012
Number And Percent Of Children In Therapeutic Foster Care As Compared To Total Number Of Children In Foster Care System
Source: State Child Welfare Interview 2012
Foster Care By Type Of Placement
Source: State Child Welfare Interview 2012
Foster Care
Kinship Foster Care
Tip: “Kinship care is the full time care, nurturing and protection of children by relatives, members of their tribes or clans, godparents, stepparents, or any adult who has a kinship bond with a child. This definition is designed to be inclusive and respectful of cultural values and ties of affection. It allows a child to grow to adulthood in a family environment.” [Source: http://www.cwla.org/programs/kinship/factsheet.htm]
Nonkinship Foster Care
Congregate Care
Tip: Congregate care describes placement settings for children in the child welfare system not living in foster homes or kinship homes; it includes group homes, residential treatment centers, and institutions.
Group Home
Institution
Medicaid-Funded Programs Utilized By Children In Foster Care
Medicaid And Financing Foster Care
Source: State Medicaid Interview 2012
Mandatory Managed Care Enrollment Of Children In Foster Care
Tip: Managed care enrollment is a health service financing and delivery model in which Medicaid eligible populations, possibly including children in foster care, receive health services through a health plan that often receives capitated payment arrangements.
Behavioral Health Carve Out
Tip: Behavioral health carve out is a health service financing and delivery model in which mental health and substance abuse treatment services are provided by a vendor outside of the usual provider.
Child Welfare Agencies Enrolled As Medicaid Providers
State 1915i HCBS Program
Tip: The 1915i HCBS program is a relatively new Medicaid state plan option that allows states to offer home and community based services to individuals who otherwise would need institutional level of care.
Payment Of Services For Children In Foster Care Bundled With Title IV-E Funds
Tip: Title IV-E of the Social Security Act provides states reimbursement from the federal government to help meet costs of providing services to children in foster care and adoption. States must meet specific eligibility requirements of Title IV-E to receive these funds.
Medicaid Billing For Specific Services For Children In Foster Care
Source: State Medicaid Interview 2012
Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities (PRTF)
Other Inpatient Mental Health Services
Outpatient Mental Health Services
Therapeutic Foster Care
Private Non-Medical Institutions (PNMI)
Tip: Private Nonmedical Institutions (PNMI) provide Residential Child Care as part of the State’s Medicaid program. The facilities provide treatment for children and adolescents and families to help children return to their homes and communities whenever possible and appropriate.
Rehabilitation Option; Specific Codes For Therapeutic Foster Care
Tip: Rehabilitation (or rehab option) provides for coverage of services for the maximum reduction of disability and restoration of function.
Targeted Case Management Option; Specific Codes For Therapeutic Foster Care
Tip: Targeted Case Management is the provision of case management services to specific groups of Medicaid clients; designed to provide clients with needed services while promoting the cost-effective use of community resources.
Early And Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, And Treatment (EPSDT) Services Include Therapeutic Foster Care
Other Special Programs For Children In Foster Care
Child Welfare Revenue And Expenditures
Overall Child Welfare Spending: Federal, State And Local Expenditures: Dollars And Percent (Yr)
Source: Child Trends 2012, “Federal, State, and Local Spending to Address Child Abuse and Neglect in SFYs 2008 and 2010” Appendix A2.
Federal
Source: Child Trends 2012, “Federal, State, and Local Spending to Address Child Abuse and Neglect in SFYs 2008 and 2010” Appendix A2.
State
Source: Child Trends 2012, “Federal, State, and Local Spending to Address Child Abuse and Neglect in SFYs 2008 and 2010” Appendix A2.
Local
Source: Child Trends 2012, “Federal, State, and Local Spending to Address Child Abuse and Neglect in SFYs 2008 and 2010” Appendix A2.
Child Welfare Spending By Federal Sources Title IV-E : Dollars And Percent (Yr)
Source: Child Trends 2012, “Federal, State, and Local Spending to Address Child Abuse and Neglect in SFYs 2008 and 2010” Appendix A2.
Title IV-E
Tip: Title IV-E of the Social Security Act provides states (tribes and identified territories) reimbursement from the federal government to help meet costs of providing services to children in foster care, transitional independent living and adoption assistance for children with special needs. States must meet specific eligibility requirements. [Source: www.ssa/gov/OP_Home/ssact.title.04.htm]
Source: Child Trends 2012, “Federal, State, and Local Spending to Address Child Abuse and Neglect in SFYs 2008 and 2010” Appendix A2.
Title IV-B
Tip: Title IV-B of the Social Security Act provides funding to states, (tribes and identified territories) for provision of services to children and families. Under IV-B 1 it includes funds to support, preserve or reunite children with their families and under Title IV-B it includes funds for family support, family preservation, time limited family reunification, adoption promotion and support.
Source: Child Trends 2012, “Federal, State, and Local Spending to Address Child Abuse and Neglect in SFYs 2008 and 2010” Appendix A2.
Federal Funding Of Foster Care Administration And Training: Dollars And Percent (Yr)
Source: Children’s Defense Fund http://www.childrensdefense.org/child-research-data-publications/data/state-data-repository/child-welfare-financing-state-factsheets-2010.html and are “most current as of November 2009”
Maintenance Payments
Source: Green Book 2008 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Expenditure Data for FY’s 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008; U.S. Congress, House of Representatives, Committee on Ways and Means, Greenbook: 1996, 1998, 2000, and 2004; and Ursula Gilmore and Elizabeth Oppenheim, Interstate Movement of Children Receiving Adoption Assistance (Washington, D.C.; American Public Human Services Association, 2003).
Administration & Placement Services
Source: Green Book 2008 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Expenditure Data for FY’s 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008; U.S. Congress, House of Representatives, Committee on Ways and Means, Greenbook: 1996, 1998, 2000, and 2004; and Ursula Gilmore and Elizabeth Oppenheim, Interstate Movement of Children Receiving Adoption Assistance (Washington, D.C.; American Public Human Services Association, 2003).
Training
Source: Green Book 2008 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Expenditure Data for FY’s 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008; U.S. Congress, House of Representatives, Committee on Ways and Means, Greenbook: 1996, 1998, 2000, and 2004; and Ursula Gilmore and Elizabeth Oppenheim, Interstate Movement of Children Receiving Adoption Assistance (Washington, D.C.; American Public Human Services Association, 2003).
Data Administration (SACWIS)
Tip: SACWIS refers to the Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System which was a federal funding project offered to states. It began is 1993 and reimbursed states 50 to 75% of their costs for creating an automated data and case management system to help them better collect information and manage workload.
Source: Green Book 2008 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Expenditure Data for FY’s 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008; U.S. Congress, House of Representatives, Committee on Ways and Means, Greenbook: 1996, 1998, 2000, and 2004; and Ursula Gilmore and Elizabeth Oppenheim, Interstate Movement of Children Receiving Adoption Assistance (Washington, D.C.; American Public Human Services Association, 2003).
Federal Funding In Adoption: Dollars And Percent (Yr)
Source: Green Book 2008 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Expenditure Data for FY’s 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008; U.S. Congress, House of Representatives, Committee on Ways and Means, Greenbook: 1996, 1998, 2000, and 2004; and Ursula Gilmore and Elizabeth Oppenheim, Interstate Movement of Children Receiving Adoption Assistance (Washington, D.C.; American Public Human Services Association, 2003).
Adoption Assistance Payments
Administration
Training
Medicaid Services For Children In Foster Care By The Type Of Service: Number Of Unique Beneficiaries And Total Medicaid Paid (Yr)
Tip: The Medicaid Statistical Information System MSIS, the source for this data, is the federal CMS data system where states submit Medicaid claims and eligibility data.
Source: Note: Some data are from different years of Medicaid Statistical Information Systems (MSIS)-Medicaid Statistical Information System (MSIS). Most current as of 2012.
In-Patient Mental Health Services Under Age 21
Source: Medicaid Statistical Information System (MSIS). Most current as of 2012.
Mental Health Facility Services
Source: Medicaid Statistical Information System (MSIS). Most current as of 2012.
Targeted Case Management
Tip: The provision of case management services to specific groups of Medicaid clients; designed to provide clients with needed services while promoting the cost-effective use of community resources.
Source: Medicaid Statistical Information System (MSIS). Most current as of 2012.
Rehabilitation
Tip: Rehabilitation (or rehab option) provides for coverage of services for the maximum reduction of disability and restoration of function.
Source: Medicaid Statistical Information System (MSIS). Most current as of 2012.
Therapy
Source: Medicaid Statistical Information System (MSIS). Most current as of 2012.
Foster Care Permanency Outcomes
Foster Care Entry Rate (Per 1,000 Children In The State Population)
Source: Administration of Children and Families “Child Welfare Outcomes 2006-2009”
Children’s Entry Into Foster Care
Source: Administration of Children and Families “Child Welfare Outcomes 2006-2009”
Percentage Of Children Entering Foster Care For The First Time
Percentage Of Children Re-Entering Within 12 Months Of A Prior Episode
Percentage Of Children Re-Entering More Than 12 Months After A Prior Episode
Missing Data
Number Of Children Exiting Foster Care (Yr)
Source: Children’s Defense Fund http://www.childrensdefense.org/child-research-data-publications/data/state-data-repository/child-welfare-financing-state-factsheets-2010.html and are “most current available as of November 2009”, 4) Child Welfare Outcomes 2002-2005. Tables 3.1, 4.1, 5.1.
Percent Of Children Moving To A Permanent Home (Yr)
Source: Children’s Defense Fund http://www.childrensdefense.org/child-research-data-publications/data/state-data-repository/child-welfare-financing-state-factsheets-2010.html and are “most current available as of November 2009”, 4) Child Welfare Outcomes 2002-2005. Tables 3.1, 4.1, 5.1.
Family Reunification
Adoption
Median Length Of Stay In Foster Care (Months)
Source: Green Book 2008 House Ways and Means Committee
Percent Of Children In Foster Care By Treatment Goal On Last Day Of Fiscal Year
Source: Green Book 2008 House Ways and Means Committee
Reunite With Parent(s)
Reunite With Relative(s)
Adoption
Long-Term Foster Care
Emancipation
Guardianship
Not Yet Established
Total Number Of Above Children In Foster Care
Percent Of Children In Foster Care By Placement Setting On Last Day Of Fiscal Year
Source: Green book 2008 House Ways and Means Committee
Pre-Adoptive Home
Kinship Foster Care
Nonkinship Foster Care
Group Home
Institution
Supervised Independent Living
Runaway
Trial Home Visit
Other
Total Number Of Above Children In Foster Care
Percent Of Children With Special Needs Status Adopted (Yr)
Source: Green Book 2008 House Ways and Means Committee
Child Outcomes Of Permanency: Source – Child And Family Services Review And Statewide Assessments
Source: All data come from most recent CFSR as of 2011
CFSR Timeliness & Permanency Of Reunification Composite Score [Standard=122.6 Or >]
Source: Child and Family Services Review-CFSR as of 2011
Timeliness Of Reunification [Component A]
Exits To Reunification In <12 Months (%)
Exits To Reunification, Median Stay (Months)
Entry Cohort Reunification In <12 Months (%)
CFSR Timeliness Of Adoptions Composite Score [Standard 106.4 Or >]
Source: Child and Family Services Review-CFSR as of 2011
Timeliness Of Adoptions Of Children Discharged From Foster Care [Component A]
Exits To Adoption In < 24 Months (%)
Exits To Adoption, Mean Length Of Stay (Months)
Permanency For Children And Youth In Foster Care For Long Periods Of Time [Permanency Component 3] Standard: 121.7 Or>
Source: Child and Family Services Review-CFSR as of 2011
Achieving Permanency For Children In Foster Care For Long Periods Of Time [Component A] Standard 121.7 Or >
Exits To Permanency Prior To 18th Birthday For Children In Care For 24> Months (%)
Exits To Permanency For Children With Termination Of Parental Rights (TPR) (%)
Growing Up In Foster Care [Component B]
Children Emancipated Who Were In Foster Care For 3 Years Or > (%)
Placement Stability [Permanency Composite 4] Standard: 101.5 Or >
Source: Child and Family Services Review-CFSR as of 2011
Two Or Fewer Placement Settings For Children In Foster Care <12 Months (%)
Two Or Fewer Placement Settings For Children In Foster Care For 12 To 24 Months (%)
Two Or Fewer Placement Settings For Children In Foster Care For 24+ Months (%)
Children In Foster Care Well-Being Outcomes Assessed By State In Addition To CSFR Measurses
Educational Outcomes
Source: State Child Welfare Interviews 2012
Physical Health Outcomes
Source: State Child Welfare Interviews 2012
Mental Health Outcomes
Source: State Child Welfare Interviews 2012
Other
Source: State Child Welfare Interviews 2012
State Key Initiatives And Innovative Programs Or Practices In Foster Care
Trauma Treatment Key Initiative
Source: State Child Welfare Interviews 2012
Program Name
Funding Source
Evidence-Based Or Evidence-Informed
National Innovation Or Model For Other States
Family-Finding Key Initiative
Source: State Child Welfare Interviews 2012
Program Name
Funding Source
Evidence-Based Or Evidence-Informed
National Innovation Or Model For Other States
Aging-Out-Of-Foster Care Key Initiatives
Source: State Child Welfare Interviews 2012
Program Name
Funding Source
Evidence-Based Or Evidence-Informed
National Innovation Or Model For Other States
Psychotropic Drugs Key Initiatives
Source: State Child Welfare Interviews 2012
Program Name
Funding Source
Evidence-Based Or Evidence-Informed
National Innovation Or Model For Other States
Behavioral Health Services Key Initiatives
Source: State Child Welfare Interviews 2012
Program Name
Funding Source
Evidence-Based Or Evidence-Informed
National Innovation Or Model For Other States
Cross-System Data Sharing Arrangements
Source: State Child Welfare Interviews 2012
Program Name
Funding Source
Evidence-Based Or Evidence-Informed
National Innovation Or Model For Other States
Other Funded Key Initiatives
Source: State Child Welfare Interviews 2012
Program Name
Funding Source
Evidence-Based Or Evidence-Informed
National Innovation Or Model For Other States