Definition: Rate of placement moves 1,000 per day of foster for all children who
entered care in a 12-month target period. Unit of analysis is the placement move and days in removal episode during the 12-month target period.
12 Month Target Period: the target period is the 12-month period that ends on the report period end date.
Count of Days: Total number of days of care provided during the 12-month period for children who
entered care during the 12-month period (including days in trial home visit and days across removal episodes) minus days:
- where the child was age 18 or over
- days in foster care episodes lasting less than 8 days
Placement Moves: Number of moves are the number times a child changes a placement setting within a removal episode that is required to be counted in AFCARS. In general, placement setting counts not included in the calculation are trial home visits, runaway, respite care, and changes in a single foster family home's status (e.g. licensing change from foster care to adoption).
Cumulative Across Episodes: Both the days in care and placement moves are counted even when the child is in multiple removal episodes in the same year.
Calculation
- Numerator: (Of children counted in the denominator) the total number of placement moves during the 12-month period.
Divided by
- Denominator: Of children who
entered care in a 12-month period, the total number of days these children were in foster care during the rolling 12-month period.
Multiplied by 1,000
National Standard: 4.12 moves per 1,000 days in foster care
Example Cohort Graphic: Report for September 2014 will be based on an entry cohort of children who entered care Oct. 1, 2013 through Sep. 30, 2014.