Los Angeles County Self-Assessment Report

Child Welfare System Outcomes Summary for Los Angeles
2004 to 2007
The following chart provides data trends from the years 2004 to 2007 on outcome
measures that indicate progress made in the provision of child welfare services to
children and families. The data is used to track improvements in strategies that have
been implemented and to support continuous high performance in outcome areas.
The outcome measures are consistent with federal CFSR measures and are used to
track county performance over time. The following data were extracted from CWS/CMS
and is published by CDSS in partnership with the University of California at Berkeley
Center for Social Services Research. These data reports serve to increase public
awareness of the local child welfare system and establish the county’s accountability for
improving outcomes for children and families.
The national standard/goal for both safety indicators and permanency composites are
based on statewide performance in 2004, 75 th percentile. On 16 of the measures,
DCFS is moving in the right direction and making steady progress, with the most
dramatic performance improvements in the areas of:
• adoption within 24 months (62.91% increase);
• median time to reunification (29.92% decrease);
• group home placements (23.7% decrease) and
• percent of children reunified within 12 months (20.63% increase).
On eight of the measures, there was reduced performance, with the most dramatic
reductions in performance in the areas of:
• re-entries following reunification (88.8% increase); however, this number is small
relative to the number reunified and L.A. County remains very close to the
National Standard Goal on this measure (refer to chart below);
• entry rates into foster care (21.8% increase), and
• children exiting to permanency after 24 months in care (9.7% decrease).
On four of the measures, we performed above the national standard, which included
measures for:
• percent of children that did not experience maltreatment in foster care;
• adoption within 12 months (legally free);
• placement stability for children who have been in foster care for 12 months or
less, and
• placement stability for children who have been in foster care for 12 to 24 months.
Finally, on 14 measures, we performed above the statewide level, all of which are
highlighted in the Outcome Summary Chart.
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