| AFCARS Technical
Assistance
As a part of its ongoing commitment
to meeting its goals, the NRC-CWDT is pleased to offer
technical assistance around the Adoption and Foster
Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS). In addition
to giving the State a better understanding of its child
welfare practice, the AFCARS data are used for a number
of purposes by the Federal government. Those uses include
the Annual Child Welfare Report to Congress, the data
profile related to the Child and Family Services Reviews,
and funding allocations for the Chafee Independent Living
Program and the Adoption Incentive Program. NRC-CWDT
can work with each State to meet its specific needs.
The AFCARS TA flyer is available to view in HTML
and Microsoft
Word. Below you will find a link to the AFCARS Toolkit.
More details on AFCARS TA options are available to the
States and information on the TA request process.
 AFCARS
Toolkit
AFCARS
Fact Sheets
AFCARS Assessment Review (AAR) Schedule Map
AFCARS NPRM The Children’s Bureau has published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) in the Federal Register on Friday, January 11. The NPRM proposes numerous improvements to AFCARS data, including changes to the reporting populations, data structure, elements, compliance determination and penalty provisions.
[HTML | PDF]
The comment period will run 60 days from publication. The Children’s Bureau will accept public comments via the www.regulations.gov website. The Bureau will post the comments received for public viewing on www.regulations.gov sometime after the close of the comment period.
The AFCARS NPRM is a proposal; therefore it has no effect on existing AFCARS requirements and procedures.
New! AFCARS NPRM Briefing by the Children’s Bureau
On February 13, 2008, the Children’s Bureau presented a webinar briefing on the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on AFCARS 2.0. The presentation is now available on our web site in various formats, including the complete webinar presentation with audio.
AFCARS Technical Assistance Options AFCARS Overview and Review
of Federal Definitions and Policy Guidance
This technical assistance will provide a review
of the AFCARS elements and reporting requirements, including
population selection issues. State program and technical
staff will be briefed on the official definitions of
elements and any additional guidance that is available
to provide clarification. Data Quality Issues Arising
from Policy, Worker Training, SACWIS Design, and Conversion
The specific issues covered in this option
will depend on the needs identified by the State. Data
quality issues may arise from one or more aspects of
data collection and reporting. The technical assistance
team can review AFCARS definitions and reporting requirements.
They can help the State assess the impact that issues
ranging from State policy/practice nuances to SACWIS
screen design may have on how well the data reflect
the child welfare practice. Also included is a review
of the tools available from the Children’s Bureau
to assist with evaluating data quality (i.e., Data Compliance
Utility and Data Quality Utility). Program Logic and/or Mapping
Documentation Review
This documentation review is an examination
of the State’s translation of data from its child
welfare information system into an AFCARS report. The
review evaluates whether the logic specified in mapping
documents is consistent with Federal guidance and, should
the State desire, an examination of how accurately the
program code implements the requirements laid out in
the mapping documents. AFCARS Technical Assistance Request
Process Interested States may choose from
one or more of these options. Requests for on-site technical
assistance must be approved in advance by the appropriate
ACF Regional Office, however, consultation with the
NRC-CWDT is welcome and encouraged. To make a request or find out more
about AFCARS Technical Assistance from the NRC-CWDT,
you may contact us using the information below. National Resource Center for
Child Welfare Data and Technology
2345 Crystal Drive
Suite 250
Arlington, VA 22202
Phone: 877- 672-4829 (toll free)
E-mail: nrccwdt@cwla.org
Web site: http://www.nrccwdt.org
This site contains links to
other web sites that may be of interest to you. The Administration
for Children and Families (ACF) / Children's Bureau (CB)
does not endorse the views expressed or the facts presented
on these sites. Their contents are solely the responsibility
of the authors and do not represent the official views
or policies of the Children's Bureau. Access to this information
does not in any way constitute an endorsement by the Department
of Health and Human Services. Furthermore, ACF/CB does
not endorse any commercial products that may be advertised
or available on these sites. |
