Children and Families Administration November 7, 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice is to advise the public of ACF's plan to replace the six national data measures used for the CFSR with six data composites addressing the child welfare domains of maltreatment recurrence, maltreatment in foster care, timeliness of adoptions, timeliness of reunifications, placement stability, and permanency for children. The plan to develop data composites is a response to a recommendation made by a consultant under contract with ACF to study the CFSR process. The recommendation is based on input from a CFSR workgroup convened by the consultant at the end of the first round of CFSRs to assist in identifying areas needing improvement. ACF expects that each data composite will incorporate multiple performance areas and measures relevant to a specific domain. ACF plans to use State performance on the data composites as part of its evaluation of a State's substantial conformity with specific outcomes assessed through the CFSR. National standards will be developed for each of the domains represented by the six data composites. ACF's plan to replace existing measures with data composites is consistent with the final CFSR regulation at 45 CFR 1355.34(b)(4) and (5), which authorizes the Secretary of HHS to add, amend, or suspend any of the statewide data indicators when appropriate, and to adjust the national standards when appropriate. The proposed plan also complies with the requirements of section 1123A of the Social Security Act (the Act) for ACF to assess State child welfare agencies' compliance with titles IV-B and IV-E of the Act as implemented in 45 CFR 1355.31 through 1355.37. We invite the public to comment on the data composites, performance areas, and measures proposed in this announcement.