AFCARS Assessment Review Report - Administration for Children ...

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training and oversight to ensure all conditions, alleged or substantiated, that were thecircumstances associated with the child’s removal are entered into CHESSIE.Placement Count (foster care element #24)The State is incorrectly excluding certain living arrangements in the number of placement movesfor the current removal episode. If a child is placed in a locked facility or in a hospital for nonacutecare, then these are to be counted as placement moves.Also, the extraction code is incorrectly counting as a placement move instances in which thefoster care provider’s identification number changes, but the child remains in the home. TheState will have to identify a method to maintain a link between the old number and the newnumber.Determination of a child’s special needs and the basis of the special needThere are multiple locations in CHESSIE where caseworkers can document whether the agencyhas determined that a child has a special need and the basis of special need. Additionally, notevery possible field is checked by the extraction code for reporting elements #9 and #10. TheState needs to modify the extraction code to check all fields in the system for this information.The State should also consider reviewing the system design to streamline the data entry processonto one screen.CONCLUSIONIn general, the State needs to incorporate the review of the AFCARS data as part of its ongoingquality assurance processes. Supervisors should also be instructed to review the data with thecaseworker and check for accuracy and timely data entry. One time that this may be convenientis when the caseworker is reviewing the case and preparing it for the six-month periodic review.The overall accuracy of the AFCARS data is crucial for the Children’s Bureau’s use of it in theChild and Family Services Review, the Child Welfare Outcomes Report to Congress, as well asmany other purposes.It will be especially important to stress supervisory oversight to ensure that this information iskept up-to-date. CHESSIE now contains the official documented case record for each child inthe care and placement responsibility of the State agency, and it is critical that this message isconveyed to all users.Once changes are made to the system and the extraction code, underlying data quality issues maysurface. These elements and those that received a rating factor of “3” will require additionaltraining and supervisory oversight for the timeliness and accuracy of data entry.Tab B contains the AFCARS Improvement Plan (AIP). The AIP contains the AFCARS generalrequirements and data elements that do not meet the requirements in the Federal regulations.Each matrix contains a column that identifies the task(s), the date the task is to be completed, anda column for comments.US DHHS/ACF/ACYF/Children’s Bureau 9
Within 30 calendar days after the receipt of this report and the attached AIP, the State staff mustsubmit the AIP electronically to the Children’s Bureau with estimated due dates for completingthe tasks in the AIP. An electronic copy of the final matrices will be e-mailed to your staff. TheState should provide electronic quarterly updates of its progress to the Children’s Bureau. Oncethe Children’s Bureau and the State agree that the quality of the data has improved, and all tasksand revisions to the extraction code have been reviewed and approved, the State will receive aletter summarizing the final results of the review.Additionally, the State’s plan for implementing the changes to the system and for caseworkertraining must be included in the State’s title IV-B Child and Family Services Plan and AnnualProgress and Services Report as part of the information required by 45 CFR 1357.15(t) and 45CFR 1357.16(a)(5).The Regional Office will work with the State to determine if technical assistance is needed, andavailable, to implement the AFCARS Improvement Plan. The State may obtain technicalassistance from the Children’s Bureau’s Network of Training and Technical Assistance Centers.US DHHS/ACF/ACYF/Children’s Bureau 10
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