an overview georgia program improvement plan - Department of ...

Neglect was determined to be the most prevalent type of substantiated maltreatment and accounted for 67% of the incidents in foster
care. Lack of supervision was the most common type of neglect and accounted for 74% of substantiated neglect cases. Emotional and
physical abuse each accounted for 12% of the substantiated incidents. Sexual abuse followed and accounted for 6% of the total
incidents with other abuse, described as exposure to drugs, comprising the remaining 3%.
A comparison of the foster care victims to non-victim foster care children produced very similar profiles. The mean age of the foster
care victim was 8.5 years compared to 8.6 years in the non-foster care victim. The foster care victim is most likely female, (58%),
compared to 51% female in non-victim foster children. The ethnicity of the foster care victim is reportedly Black, (72%). While nonvictim
foster children are reportedly 54% Black. Georgia’s largest counties accounted for 52% of foster care victims and 46% of nonfoster
care victims.
Foster families involved in maltreatment investigations are 52% single parent and 48% two-parent families. The mean age of the
single foster parent was 51 years and the majority of that group (92%) is female. Two-parent foster families have a mean age of 49
years for both foster mother and father. Sixty-two percent of foster mothers and 57% of foster fathers are identified as Black. Thirtyeight
percent of foster mothers and 36% of foster fathers were identified as White. Single parent foster families were more likely to be
associated with neglect investigations than two-parent families. Two-parent families were more likely to be associated with
emotional, physical, and sexual abuse than single-parent families.
See attachments 2-A3, A4, and A6 a and b for further details.
8 th Quarter DOCUMENTATION: Per ACF 7 th quarter request: (1) Profile Report on the Maltreatment of Children in Foster Care
(Victim Data Profile), and (2) Profile Summary Report - The Maltreatment of Foster Children
BARRIERS TO ACHIEVEMENT:
1 st Quarter Report: Currently the data collection instrument (Form 431) is completed for all assessments of abuse or neglect in foster
homes or institutions. The children in the foster homes/institutions are not separated in groups of children in agency custody vs.
children in parental custody. In producing the report a mechanism to monitor data collection of children included a paper copy of
investigations to better identify and describe foster care victims. 1 st Quarter Federal Response: (DESCRIBE ACTION YOU WILL
TAKE DURING THE NEXT PIP QUARTER TO MEET THE PROJECTED BENCHMARKS AND/OR GOALS).
3 rd Quarter Georgia Reply: This benchmark was achieved therefore there are no barriers.
Safe Futures – A Plan for Program Improvement
Georgia Department of Human Resources
November, 2004 Quarter 8 - Work Plan A Page 5