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September 9, 2008 George Li Beth Locker GA Supreme Court Committee on Justice for Children

Ground Truth: Using Data to Explore What’s Really Happening at the Local Level Augusta Judicial Circuit Justice for Children Summit. September 9, 2008 George Li Beth Locker GA Supreme Court Committee on Justice for Children. 1. 1. The New Child Welfare Environment. The CFSR

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September 9, 2008 George Li Beth Locker GA Supreme Court Committee on Justice for Children

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  1. Ground Truth:Using Data to Explore What’s Really Happening at the Local LevelAugusta Judicial Circuit Justice for Children Summit September 9, 2008 George Li Beth Locker GA Supreme Court Committee on Justice for Children 1 1

  2. The New Child Welfare Environment The CFSR In 1994 the federal government instituted the Child and Family Services Review (CFSR). This review targets outcomes for children and families served by the child welfare system as well as the systemic factors that directly effect the State’s capacity to deliver services. 2 2

  3. SYSTEMATIC CHANGE Child welfare has moved from a compliance driven system to an outcome based system. All programs are now held accountable for meeting specified outcomes which requires the field to learn new and better ways to track data and manage toward positive outcomes for children and families. 3 3

  4. A Couple of Questions How to you think Augusta is doing compared to other parts of the state? How are the counties in the Augusta Circuit doing compared to each other? Do you have enough data to answer these questions? 4 4

  5. So what data are we focusing on today? 5 5

  6. Data Source - AFCARS AFCARS: Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System Foster Care Data Advantages Already being collected Gives us standardized definitions NCANDS: National Child Abuse & Neglect Data System PSDS: Protective Services Data System Data Source – Safety Data 6 6

  7. AFCARS Data Source Georgia’s been sending data every 6 months (March & September) since 1996 Collaboration with DFCS, the Office of the Child Advocate and Fostering Court Improvement, we have data from 10/1998 to 3/2008 Processed into a longitudinal file and reported for major geographic regions: counties, DHR regions, court circuits and court districts 231 geographic regions, 1100 web pages containing 6000 charts 7 7

  8. A Diverse Circuit? Burke Columbia Richmond 8 8

  9. Reports of Maltreatment Investigations • Last year Augusta investigated 17.5 children per 10K in the circuit. • Statewide, the rate was 22.9 • Burke = 25.8 • Columbia = 14.8 • Richmond = 18.1 9 9

  10. Victims Re-Victimized 10 10

  11. Removed vs. Non-Removed Victims Re-Victimized 11 11

  12. Removals to Foster Care • Augusta removes 2.5 children per 10,000 in the population • Statewide, we remove 2.5 children per 10K in population • Removal rates across the state vary from less than 1 child per 10,000 in the population to more than 10. • Due process implications? 12 12

  13. Removals to Foster Care 13

  14. Removals to Foster Care • Statewide = 2.5 per 10K • Burke = 0.8 per 10K • Columbia = 1.2 per 10K • Richmond = 3.5 per 10K 14 14

  15. Reasons for Removal 15 15

  16. Reentry to Foster Care Of all children removed between April 2007 and March 2008: 4.6% (13 children), had been previously discharged from foster care during the preceding 12 months 8.5% statewide 8.5% (24 children), had ever been previously discharged from foster care 16.4% statewide Chart shows full calendar year data, to minimize variability, but numbers are most recent 12 months 16 16

  17. Reentries to Foster Care 17

  18. Reentries to Foster Care • Statewide = 8.5% (w/i 12); 16.4% (ever) • Burke = 0% (w/i 12); 0% (ever) • Columbia = 10.2% (w/i 12); 12.2% (ever) • Richmond = 3.5% (w/i 12); 8.5% (ever) 18 18

  19. Foster Care Population Augusta Circuit has 38 children per 10,000 in the population in foster care (47 per 10K statewide) Last year, Augusta’s # in care held fairly steady while the statewide number fell On March 31st, 2007; Augusta had 39 per 10K (51 sw) On March 31st , 2008; Augusta had 38 per 10K (43 sw) 19 19

  20. Average # of Children in Care Statewide = 47 (per 10K) Burke =24 (per 10K) Columbia = 10 (per 10K) Richmond =57 (per 10K) 20 20

  21. Length of Stay Over time, Augusta’s children have generally stayed in state custody for shorter times than the statewide median. Median length of stay, children in care on 3/31/07 = 7.8 months (13.9 s.w.) Median length of stay, children in care on 3/31/08 = 9.9 months (14.7 s.w.) 21 21

  22. Placement Settings 22 22

  23. Placement Stability • Of all children in care on March 31, 2008: • 74% had two or fewer moves during their time in care. • 56% statewide 23 23

  24. Of all children who were in care on 3/31/07, 54% of them had achieved permanency within 12 months - compared to the statewide rate of 42%. Achieving Permanency w/i 12 months 24

  25. Achieving Permanency w/i 12 months Statewide = 42% Burke = 43% Columbia = 87% Richmond = 51% 25 25

  26. Reasons for Discharge 26

  27. Reunification Of children discharged to reunification from 4/07 through 3/08: 81% were reunified within 12 months (vs. 71% s.w.) 4% were reunified within 72 hours (vs. 9% s.w.) Median months from removal to reunification = 7.1 months (7.1 s.w.) 27 27

  28. Reunified w/i 12 months Reunification Median Time (in months) Statewide = 71% Circuit = 81% Burke = 33% Columbia = 65% Richmond = 86% Statewide = 7.1 Circuit = 7.1 Burke = 12.6 Columbia = 7.6 Richmond = 7.1 28 28

  29. Relatives PLACEMENT: Children in relative care on 3/31/08 = 27% (18% sw) DISCHARGE: Of all children discharged between 4/07 and 3/08, 34% were discharged to a relative (24% sw) TIME: Median months from removal to relative discharge = 8.6 months (11.4 sw) 29 29

  30. PlacementDischargeTime Relatives Statewide = 18% 24% 11.4 Circuit = 27% 34% 8.6 Burke = 7% 69% 3.0 Columbia = 38% 45% 8.3 Richmond = 26% 30% 10.1 30 30

  31. Guardianship… 31 31

  32. Termination of Parental Rights (TPR) • 47% of children in non-relative care over 24 months have both TPRs (vs. 38% s.w.) National Policy Debate 44% of those with TPR on 3/31/2007 achieved permanency w/i 12 months (vs. 32% s.w.) 32 32

  33. TPR to Permanency w/i 12 months TPR Non-relative care over 24 months; with TPR Statewide = 32% Circuit = 44% Burke = na Columbia = 100% Richmond = 42% Statewide = 38% Circuit = 47% Burke = 0% Columbia = 0% Richmond = 55% 33 33

  34. Adoption DISCHARGE: Of all children discharged between 4/07 and 3/08, 11% were discharged to adoption (14% sw) • Total of 32 children Median months from removal to adoption discharge = 38.6 months (33.4 s.w.) 34 34

  35. % of Discharges Adoptions Time(in months) Statewide = 14% Circuit = 11% Burke = 2% Columbia = 0% Richmond = 14% Statewide = 33.4 Circuit = 38.6 Burke = 85.5 Columbia = na Richmond = 38.4 35 35

  36. Adoption Timeliness 9% were adopted w/i 24 months (vs 22% sw) 66% were adopted w/i 48 months (vs 78% sw) 36 36

  37. 37

  38. Augusta Circuit Data Summary Strengths Challenges 38 38

  39. Data and charts (including semi-annual updates) available at: www.fosteringcourtimprovement.org/ga Contact me anytime for assistance with interpreting them… Beth Locker 404-463-5227 lockerb@gaaoc.us 39 39

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