Talking About PERMANENCY in Our Community

Talking About PERMANENCY in Our Community

What Does the DATA Tell Us?

Clark, Coles, Cumberland, Douglas, Edgar, Moultrie & Shelby Counties

Clark...Shelby Counties

How do Coles County Children Enter the Child Welfare System?Indicated reports FY 2010Source Number Percent of total Law enforcement 71 36%School personnel 39 20%Relative/neighbor 21 11%Social services 20 10%Medical 19 10%“Other” 15 8%DCFS personnel 11 6%Child care centers 0 0%Coroner/Medical Exam 0 0%

196 100%Source: DCFS QA FY 2010


How do Children in our 7 Counties Enter the Child Welfare System?Indicated reports FY 2010Source Number Percent of total

Law enforcement 162 36%

School personnel 74 16%

Medical 57 13%

Relative/neighbor 51 11%

Social services 50 11%

“Other” 38 8%

DCFS personnel 19 4%

Child care centers 0 0%

Coroner/Medical Exam 0 0%

451 100%

Source: DCFS QA FY 2010


How do Children Enter the Child Welfare System?As shown above, law enforcement was the largest

source of indicated reports in Coles County and in the 7 counties.

Further, law enforcement reports overall were more likely to be indicated than reports from other major sources.

- 66% of reports (162 of 245) from law enforcement personnel were indicated in FY2010 in the 7 counties. In Coles, 69% of law enforcement reports were indicated.



What Types of Harm did Coles County Children Experience in FY10?

Type N indicated% of totalABUSESubstantial risk of harm 36 13%Physical abuse 29 11%Sexual abuse 27 10%Emotional abuse 4 1%

NEGLECTBlatant disregard 87 33%Lack of supervision 47 18%Environmental 35 13%Lack of health 2 1%



What Types of Harm did Children in our 7 Counties Experience ?

Type N indicated% of totalABUSESubstantial risk of harm 76 13%Sexual abuse 52 9%Physical abuse 48 8%Emotional abuse 8 1%

NEGLECTBlatant disregard 211 35%Lack of supervision 99 16%Environmental 97 16%Lack of health 11 2%



What Types of Harm in our 7 Counties…?

By far the most common harm to children is neglect/ blatant disregard for child’s welfare, representing more than a third of all indicated reports. The second most common is neglect/lack of supervision accounting for 16% of indicated cases, followed closely by environmental neglect (16%).Sexual abuse per se accounts for 9% of indicated cases However, when this is combined with substantial risk of sexual injury then 14% of cases relate to sexual harm to children.



21 children and youth entered foster care in Coles County and 41 children entered care in all 7 counties combined.

Coles: Gender: female – 43% male – 57% 7 Counties: female – 34% male – 66%

Race: Coles 7 CountiesAfrican American 5% (1 child) 2% (1 child)White 95% 76%Hispanic 0% 0%Other/Missing 0% 22%Source: DCFS QA FY 2010

Who Entered Care in FY10?


Who is in Care in Our Counties?At the close of FY10, 52 children were in out-of-home care in

Coles County and 104 children in the 7 counties combined. This was decrease from FY09 when 61 (Coles) and 117 (7 Counties) children were in care.

RACE/ETHNICITYColes 7 Counties

African American 15% 10%White 85% 89%Hispanic* 0% 1%

Source: DCFS QA FY 2010 & 2009.

*There are on-going concerns about how Latino or Hispanic ethnicity is determined for DCFS clients. This percent is based on classification in QA data.


Who is in Care in our Counties?GENDER Coles: 43% female, 57% male7 Counties: 34% female, 66% male

AGE Coles 7 Counties

2 & under 35% 27%3-5 25% 22%6-9 17% 18%10-13 13% 16%14-17 6% 12%18+ 4% 5%

Source: DCFS QA 2010


What are the Permanency Goals for Youth in Care?*

COLES 7 COUNTIES

Reunification 50% 55%Adoption 41% 32%Independence 9% 14%Guardianship 0% 0%

100% 100%


*This table excludes children for whom data were missing or coded as “other”


Where are Children Placed?*

COLES 7 COUNTIEStrad. foster care 39% 35%with kin 37% 39%specialized care 20% 19%institution/group 4% 7%

100% 100%

* QA data combines foster and relative care, thus this information is from CFRC for FY09.


How was Permanency Achieved For Children in FY10? Coles: 27 children achieved permanency in

FY107 Counties: 49 children achieved permanency

Coles 7 Counties N % N %

Adoption 10 37%15 31%

Reunification 11 41%25 51%

Subsidized Guard’ship 6 22%9 18%



How have 12 Month Permanency Rates Changed over Time?

Source: CFRC 2009

2004 2005 2006 2007 20080%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Year Child Entered Care

Clark . . . Shelby Counties:12 Month Permanency


How have 24 Month Permanency Rates Changed Over Time?

Source: CFRC 2009

2003 2004 2005 2006 20070%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Year Child Entered Care

Clark . . . Shelby Counties:24 Month Permanency


12 month permanency rates over the 5 years presented ranged from a low of 18% to a high of 36% The rate was 27% for the most year available.

24 month permanency rates ranges from a low of 37% to a high of 59%. The rate was 54% for the most recent year available.

Source: CFRC 2009. [Such data are not yet available from QA]

What are the Permanency Trends in our Counties?


Disproportionality and Disparity in our CountiesDisproportionality is when the percentage of a group of children

in a population is different from the percentage of the same group in the child welfare system.

For example, if 25% of the children in a county were African American, then 25% of those in foster care should be African American, all things being equal. That would be proportional. If these percents differ there is disproportionality.

Disparity is unequal treatment or outcomes when comparing children of color to non-minority children.

For example, if Hispanic children are less likely to achieve permanency than white children then there are disparate outcomes by race/ethnicity.


Is There Disproportionality in Our Counties*?YES African American children continue to be overrepresented among

children in care in our Counties.Coles: 2% of the child population is African American, compared to 15% of those

in care. 95% of the child population is White, compared to 85% of those in care. 3% of the child population is Hispanic, compared to 0% of those in care

7 Counties:1% of the child population is African American, compared to 10% of those

in care. 96% of the child population is White, compared to 89% in care4% of the child population is Hispanic, compared to 1% in care.

* Data from here forward are presented for the 7 counties due to the small number of African American children in care..

Source: CFRC 09 (for population data) QA FY10 (for report data)


Disproportionality

African American Hispanic Caucasian0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Child Population = Light colorsFoster Care Population = Dark colors

Clark . . . Shelby Counties: Child Population vs. Foster Care Population by Race/Ethnicity

Source: Population data CFRC 2009, Care data QA 2010


Disproportionality Over Time

2005 2006 2007 2008 20090%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

African AmericanHispanicCaucasian

County: Percentages of Children in Care by Race/Ethnicity

Source: CFRC 2009


Are There Differences in Permanency Goals by Race?*

YESAfrican American

White .

Reunification 3 33% 44 56%

Adoption 6 67% 22 28%

Guardianship 0 0% 0 0%

Independence 0 0% 12 15%

9 100% 78 100%

HOWEVER, GIVEN THE VERY SMALL NUMBERS OF AFRICAN AMERICAN CHILDREN THIS DIFFERENCE MAY NOT BE MEANINGFUL.

*This table excludes children for whom permanency goals were missing or coded as “other”.



Is There Disparity in Permanency Achievement?

YES

In FY10, 103 children achieved permanency, 10 African American and 93 white children.

African American children and White children who were in care in FY10 left care at slightly different rates, with African American children slightly more likely to leave care than White children (African American 50% & White children 47%)

African American youth were somewhat more likely than White youth to exit via reunification (60% vs 50%)

White youth were more likely than African American youth to exit via adoption (34% vs 0%)




Is There Disparity in Permanency Achievement Over Time?The numbers of African American children in

care are too small to meaningfully track 12 and 24 month permanency.


What is the “Bottom Line” on Disproportionality?

In FY10, were African American children more likely to be reported as neglected / abused in our Counties?

YES

Although African American children are 1% of the population, they comprise 4% of the reported cases.

White children comprise 96% of the child population but 95% of those reported.

Hispanic children represent 4% of the population but less than 1% of those reported.

Source: CFRC 09 (for population data) QA FY10 (for report data)


What is the “Bottom Line” on Disproportionality?

Once reported, are African American children more likely to be indicated than White children?

YESIn FY10 of all reports for African American children,

37% were indicatedOf all reports for White children, 28% were

indicated.



Once indicated did African American and White children enter care at similar rates in FY10?

Only 1 African American child entered care in FY10 so no meaningful comparison can be made.


What is the “Bottom Line” on Disparity?


DisparityAre African American children less likely to have reunification as a

goal than White children?

YES

In FY10, 33% of African American children had a goal of reunification compared to 56% of White children.

Were African American children less likely to exit care than White children?

NO

In FY10 50% of African American children in care achieved permanency compared to 47% of White children.

HOWEVER, GIVEN THE VERY SMALL NUMBERS OF AFRICAN AMERICAN CHILDREN THESE DIFFERENCES MAY NOT BE MEANINGFUL.



DisparityDid African American children achieve permanency

differently from White children in FY10?

YES

In FY10, African American children were slightly more likely than White children to achieve permanency through reunification (60% & 50%).

African American children were much less likely to exit care through adoption (0% to 34%)




Disproportionality and Disparity: The SummaryIn FY10 in the 7 counties:African American children were more likely to be

reported than White childrenWhen reported, African American children are more

likely to be indicated than White children.However, in FY 10 African American children were

slightly more likely to achieve permanency than White children.

HOWEVER, GIVEN THE VERY SMALL NUMBERS OF AFRICAN AMERICAN CHILDREN THESE DIFFERENCES MAY NOT BE MEANINGFUL.


On-going Questions for our Area

Documents

Talking About PERMANENCY in Our Community