Technical Bulletin #7 AFCARS Adoption Data Elemtn Standards REVISED: March, 20001,2

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this technical bulletin (TB) is to provide, at a glance, information on the missing data standards, valid codes, internal consistency standards, and compliance standards. The table lists all of the thirty-seven Adoption Data elements by element number and name. It also provides the field size for each. This document is a shortened version of the "Guide to the Elements".

Notes:

1. The century year, represented by "cc", is comprised of the first two digits representing the century date. For example, for adoption element #2, Reporting Period Ending Date, the date "March 31, 2000" has the two digit century year "20".

2. Any value that is used that is not listed in the column "Valid Codes" will fail the out of range standard. In the chart you will note that the use of "0" is given as a valid code. While the Federal regulation at 45 CFR 1355 does not always include a zero as a valid code it may be used for those elements where a blank might be a valid response. For instance in adoption element #17, "father's year of birth", if the birth date is unknown, then a blank is a valid response. We recognize that some programmers prefer to use a zero in place of a blank and this is allowable.

¹Initial issuance date July 11, 1995 as TB # 7.
² Revised format for race categories, see ACYF-CB-PI-99-01, January 27, 1999 and 65 FR 4019.