This technical bulletin provides guidance for installing and executing the AFCARS Data Quality Utility. By following the guidance of this bulletin, States will be able to properly encrypt and decrypt case numbers to report as the record number in the State's data file (foster care element # 4 and adoption element #5).
The Data Quality Utility (DQU) was created in addition to the Data Compliance Utility (DCU) (see Technical Bulletin #8) as a way to provide technical assistance to States. Since the DCU incorporates only those edit checks required to assess the States compliance with the standards in 45 CFR 1355.40, the Children's Bureau developed a utility that would perform more detailed edit checks on the data being submitted in the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS). The DQU is a tool that rigorously assesses the quality and accuracy of the data. This utility is designed to assist the States in identifying problems with the data that would prevent it from being used in national data reports, or from the State being able to evaluate the child welfare services being delivered. The utility is also on the Federal AFCAR system and is the first step in assessing the quality of the data.
The Children's Bureau encourages the States to use this utility prior to submitting the data to ACF. In order to optimize the usefulness of this utility, States should incorporate this utility as a routine task in quality control of the AFCARS data and assess the data on a regular basis, such as quarterly.
Overview
This technical bulletin provides guidance for installing and executing the AFCARS Data Quality Utility (DQU) version 2.0. The DQU creates two output files, one for foster care and one for adoption, that contain a detailed and a summary report on the DQU's findings. Descriptions of reports produced by the DQU appear in section III of this document. Examples of the reports can be found in Appendices A: 1 for adoption and B: 1 for foster care.
B.1 What the DQU Does
The DQU helps identify several errors in the data file:
DQU identifies all errors in each record. Extensive analysis was performed on each individual data element as well as more than 6,000 relationships among the data elements. A model was then designed which performs more than 800 checks on these relationships. The DQU does not determine data compliance, so it identifies every inconsistency among data elements even if it is not subject to Federal data compliance checks.
DQU identifies Cross-File Errors. The DQU looks across the entire file to find questionable trends in the data. These suspect errors are called Cross-File Errors. For example, a State's data may be suspect if all records in the file indicate that each child is in their first foster care episode.
DQU identifies the most likely error requiring editing. Rather than marking all elements that are inconsistent as incorrect, the DQU uses other available information from the record to identify which element is the most likely cause of the inconsistency in the relationship. Please note that while the existence of a "most likely" error does indicate an inconsistency among the data, it does not necessarily mean it is the true source of the error . It is possible that other element(s) in the relationship are the cause of the inconsistency in addition to, or instead of, the identified "most likely" error. If, in evaluating the data, it is determined that an element identified as a "most likely" error by the DQU is, in fact, correct, the other elements involved in the relationship should be examined to determine which of them is incorrect.
DQU identifies formatting errors in the Adoption Aggregate file . The DQU checks the formatting on all fields in this one-record file, and reports any errors.
DQU identifies formatting errors in all footnotes . The option to include footnotes with an AFCARS file allows States to explain any issues that might assist in the analysis of their data. Submission of this file is optional.
B.2 Differences Between the DQU and AFCARS State Data Compliance Utility (DCU)
The State DQU is very similar to the AFCARS State DCU. They both identify errors in the data and they create reports that look similar. However, they are also very different in several ways. Table 1 lists the differences between the two utilities.
Table 1
Data Quality Utility (DQU)
State Data Compliance Utility (DCU)
Marks all errors
Marks only errors that fail to meet the data standards as cited in 45 CFR 1355.40
Marks errors for each of the six categories of a race element
Marks only errors for the race element viewed as a whole
Identifies element that is most likely causing internal inconsistency and only marks that element as wrong
Marks all elements causing an internal inconsistency as wrong
Validates formatting of Adoption Aggregate file
Does not validate formatting of Adoption Aggregate file
Validates formatting of footnotes
Does not validate formatting of footnotes
Identifies file-level "cross file" and record-level errors for each element
Only identifies record-level errors for each element
Used for identifying data errors and improving the quality of the data
Used to identify data errors and to identify any element that does not meet data standards as cited in 45 CFR 1355.40
The utilities serve different purposes. It benefits the State to use them both.
For more information on the AFCARS Data Compliance Utility, see Technical Bulletin #8, revised March, 2000, or call the Children's Bureau at (202) 205-8634.
B.3 The Data Quality Utility and the Federal System
This bulletin describes the use of the State DQU. The Federal AFCAR system executes a version of the same program on all submitted AFCARS files. Reports generated by the Federal DQU will be appended to the data error reports that are routinely sent to States after each submission to the Administration for Children and Families (ACF). The content of the reports will be exactly the same as those created by the State DQU. The only difference may be the record numbers in the report. Initially, the DQU should be run containing the actual State client identifiers, so that the source of errors in the State database can be investigated. However, the file submitted to the Federal system must not contain these identifiers it must contain either sequential numbers or encrypted versions of the State identifier. Please read Section III. A for instructions on how to read the DQU reports.
The only functional difference between the State version and the Federal version of the utility is that the Federal version also contains programs to remove certain data determined to be incorrect from a State file prior to loading it into the Federal AFCARS database (the original raw data file submitted by the State is archived). The State version of the utility will, however, indicate which elements would be removed if the State file were to be submitted to the Federal AFCARS.
Lastly, the Federal version of the DQU will not run on files that are submitted with an incorrect file format. This includes format errors when the summary file and the detailed file do not match and/or files that are not submitted with the correct record length.
Utility Files
The utility was provided to States on a 3½", double-sided, high-density diskette. The utility has been written in the C programming language. The diskette includes the source code and PC-compatible executable files in C. Following is a complete listing of the diskette files:
C Files:
DQU2.EXE (executable)
DQU2.C (source code for missing and out-of-range checks)
DQUADCHK2.C (source code for adoption date and group checks)
DQUFCCHK2.C (source code for foster care date and group checks)
DQUREPRT2.C (source code for reports)
DQU2.H (header file)
ASCII File:
FIPS.LST (contains a list of valid local agency FIPS codes)
In addition, these files will be posted on the Children's Bureau's AFCARS web page, /programs/cb/afcars.
Options for Using the Utility
ACF is providing both source code and executable files to allow the States to select their own approach for checking their AFCARS data. Two options are listed below:
Use an executable file. This is the easiest option. Simply copy one of the executables and the file "FIPS.LST" to the PC where the AFCARS data submission file is stored and execute it. The executables will only run on a PC under DOS version 3.0 or higher.
Use the C source code. This option provides the flexibility to execute the utility written in C on different computer platforms. The source code (DQU2.C, DQUADCHK2.C, DQUFCCHK2.C and DQUREPRT2.C), header file (DQU2.H) and the file "FIPS.LST" can be copied to a PC or mainframe. Each of the four source code files must be compiled, then linked to create an executable. The code may be edited to meet any additional needs at the State's option. However, ACF cannot guarantee the accuracy of reports created by the utility if the source code is modified in any way from its original form.
Selecting C Files
If the State uses the DQU on a PC, DQU2.EXE can be used.
If the source code (with or without making modifications) needs to be compiled either on a PC or another platform, then a compiler that meets the ANSI-C standard is needed.
II. USING THE DATA QUALITY UTILITY
Installing the Software
The 3½" diskette contains a ready-to-use executable file for the DQU.
Copy the file "DQU2.EXE" and the "FIPS.LST" file to an IBM 386 (or higher) compatible personal computer running DOS 3.0 or higher.
When using the source code, copy the source code file(s) and the "FIPS.LST" file to the platform where the compiler is located. Then make any modifications and compile the source code.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The "FIPS.LST" file contains a list of valid local agency Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) codes which the DQU uses to validate foster care element #3, the local agency FIPS code. When executing the DQU the file "FIPS.LST" file must be located in the same directory as the executables. Otherwise, the DQU will not work properly.
Checking State Data Files
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The DQU executable will:
Process only files formatted as specified in AFCARS Technical Bulletin #2: File Format, revised March, 2000 and
Not process files in EBCDIC and/or other non-ASCII formats, or on any non-PC platform.
For the executable written in C (DQU2.EXE), execute the program by
typing the command "DQU" at the C:\> prompt.
The program will then ask for four things:
The name of the AFCARS file to be checked. This file contains the State client identifier numbers. The client identifier numbers may be encrypted or sequential. Be sure to include the full path with the filename if the file is not located in the directory from which the DQU is running
The file name for the file generated by the program that contains the foster care reports. Unless otherwise specified, the file will be created in the directory from which the DQU is running
The file name for the file generated by the program that contains the adoption reports. Unless otherwise specified, the file will be created in the directory from which the DQU is running and
The State's two-digit FIPS code. If the user is unsure what the State's FIPS code is, please refer to the AFCARS Guide to the Foster Care Elements under foster care element #1.
The program will process the data file. If the file is not formatted correctly, the utility will not run properly, so it is important that the directions in AFCARS Technical Bulletin #2: File Format, revised March, 2000, are followed when creating the file.
After the program finishes executing, use a text editor to view or print the two report files that have been generated. A word processing software package such as WordPerfect or Microsoft Word may be used to view the file. If a word processor is used, be sure to use a non-scalable font (we suggest Courier 12 cpi) when printing the files. Otherwise, the reports will not print properly.
III. HOW TO INTERPRET DATA QUALITY UTILITY REPORTS
This section provides guidance on how to interpret the reports generated by the DQU. Again, these reports are exactly the same as the reports that are generated by the Federal AFCARS and transmitted to the State after any AFCARS file is submitted.
There are two types of reports. The Detailed Data Quality Report indicates every error for each element in each record. Unlike the detailed report generated by the AFCARS State DCU, this report will indicate every error in a record regardless of whether the element is required for purposes of determining regulatory compliance. This is to assist States in improving the quality of the data for both State and Federal use.
The Summary Data Quality Report gives a total for each type of error by each element. The Summary Report will also include "Cross File" errors, which are described in Section III.B.1 of this document, formatting errors to footnotes (if footnotes have been included in the file), and in the Adoption report, formatting errors to the Adoption Aggregate file (if one has been included in the file).
Examples of both reports are included at Appendices A: 1 and B: 1.
Remember that errors found by the DQU are not necessarily part of the Federal compliance checks. To determine which elements do not meet Federal data standards, run the AFCARS State DCU, and refer to Technical Bulletin #8, revised March, 2000.
Detailed Data Quality Reports
The DQU report shows all of the errors found by the DQU in every element. The first column in the report lists the record number (foster care element #4 and adoption element #3).
The remaining columns represent the element numbers (sixty-six for foster care, thirty-seven for adoption) and the categories 'a' through 'f' for each race element. If there is a "." in a column, that element had no errors in that record. If there is not a "." one of several errors is identified. These errors are described in Sections III.A.1-III.A.3, below.
Note that within a record, no element will be marked with more than one error. However, unlike the AFCARS State DCU, even if an element has been identified to be an error, it may still be used to help evaluate consistency among other data.
If a record has no errors in it, it will not appear in the Detailed Report.
Elements will be tested for three types of errors, subsections A.1 through A.3 describe these errors.
A.1 Missing
A "1" in the detailed report indicates a missing element. This indicates that the element was left blank in the record when it was required. Under certain circumstances, some elements are not required to have data and thus may be left blank. The elements that do not require data will never be marked with a "1". The following is a list of elements that may, under certain circumstances, be left blank:
Foster Care:
#05 Date of Most Recent Periodic Review
#17 Age of Child at Previous Adoption
#20 Date of Discharge from Previous Foster Care Episode
#45 1st Primary Caretaker's Birth Year
#46 2nd Primary Caretaker's Birth Year
#47 Date of Termination of Mother's Parental Rights
#48 Date of Termination of Father's Parental Rights
#49 Foster Family Structure
#50 1st Foster Caretaker's Birth Year
#51 2nd Foster Caretaker's Birth Year
#52 a, b, c, d, e, f 1st Foster Caretaker's Race
#53 1st Foster Caretaker's Hispanic or Latino Origin
#54 a, b, c, d, e, f 2nd Foster Caretaker's Race
#55 2nd Foster Caretaker's Hispanic or Latino Origin
#56 Discharge Date
#57 Discharge Transaction Date
#58 Reason for Discharge
Adoption:
#10 Primary Basis for Determining Special Needs
#11 Mental Retardation
#12 Visually/Hearing Impaired
#13 Physically Disabled
#14 Emotionally Disturbed
#15 Other Diagnosed Condition
#16 Mother's Birth Year
#17 Father's Birth Year
#23 Adoptive Mother's Birth Year
#24 Adoptive Father's Birth Year
#25 a, b, c, d, e, f Adoptive Mother's Race
#26 Adoptive Mother's Hispanic or Latino Origin
#27 a, b, c, d, e, f Adoptive Father's Race
#28 Adoptive Father's Hispanic or Latino Origin
#29 Adoptive Parent Previously Related to Child as Stepparent
#30 Adoptive Parent Previously Related to Child as Other Relative
#31 Adoptive Parent Previously Related to Child as Foster Parent
#32 Adoptive Parent Previously Related to Child as Other Non-Relative
A.2 Out of Range
A "2" in the detailed report indicates an element with an out of range
(i.e., not allowable value). For example, the allowable values for sex are
"1" for male and "2" for female. Any other value is out of
range. Allowable values for coded elements are listed in the Federal regulation
at 45 CFR 1355.40.
Allowable values for date elements are, in general:
formatted according to AFCARS regulation
valid dates, e.g. April 31 is not a valid date
prior to the current date, i.e., the date the utility is executed and
on or after January 1, 1900. Some date elements have more restrictive ranges.
For a complete list of out of range standards for each element, see Appendix A: 2 for the adoption elements and Appendix B: 2 for the foster care elements.
Note: with the exception of the record number (element #4 in foster care, element #3 in adoption), all elements must contain only digits or blanks and no other characters. If any non-numeric character, other than a blank, is found in a field, it will be marked as out of range.
A.3 Most Likely Errors
Many data elements are inter-related. For example, for Adoption data, if the Adoptive parents' family structure is reported as "single mother," then data on the Adoptive mother should be reported and data on Adoptive father should not be reported. Such inconsistencies are indicated in the detailed report. An error in an element that is "most likely" causing an inconsistency among an inter-related set of data elements, or among the race categories of a race element in the record, is indicated with a lower-case letter ("a", "b", "c", etc.) in the detailed report. In some cases, an inconsistency occurs among a set of data elements and an individual element cannot be identified as the "most likely error" in these cases, several elements involved in the inconsistency may be marked as errors.
An upper-case letter ("A", "B", "C", etc.) indicates an error that will be "cleaned" or removed from the State file's data prior to being loaded into the Federal AFCARS database. A deleted element will have blanks in place of the incorrect data when loaded to the database. The actual State file's data is never altered in this process. The data loaded into the database, however, only contains data remaining after this error deletion process. The State version of the utility does not delete any values. It does, however, indicate which elements would be deleted if the State file were to be submitted to the Federal AFCARS.
Again, remember that while the existence of a "most likely" error does indicate an inconsistency among the data, it does not necessarily mean it is the true source of the error . It is possible that other element(s) in the relationship are the cause of the inconsistency in addition to, or instead of, the identified "most likely" error. If, in evaluating the data, it is determined that an element identified as a "most likely" error by the DQU is, in fact, correct, an examination of all other elements involved in the relationship should be conducted to determine which of them is incorrect. The letter in the report corresponds to the legend, printed at the top of the detailed report, which indicates which elements were involved in the inconsistency.
Unlike the AFCARS State Data Compliance Utility, the DQU will check all possible inconsistencies among the data elements. Also, elements that fail one consistency check may still be involved in other consistency checks.
There are seven adoption consistency check groups and thirteen foster care consistency check groups. All the consistency checks that are enumerated in 45 CFR 1355.40 are included in these groups. For a description of each of the elements involved in the check groups and the rationale behind each check, please see Appendix A: 4 for adoption and Appendix B: 4 for foster care.
Summary Data Quality Report
The Summary Data Quality Report summarizes all of the information in the detailed edit report to assist in determining the location of likely data errors. Below are descriptions of the different types of errors shown in the Summary Data Quality Report.
B.1 Cross File Errors
In addition to examining data relationships within a record, the DQU searches for errors by evaluating each data element and race category across the complete file. For example, while it is valid to have an individual record coded as "male", it is improbable that every record would be correctly coded as such. In this example, a message would be included in the Cross File Errors section of the report that says: "All records have the same sex." A full list of the cross-file checks, by element, is available in Appendix A: 3 for adoption and Appendix B: 3 for foster care.
It is important to note that these checks only evaluate those records where the element has passed all record level error checks. In other words, if the element has anything other than a "." in the detailed report, it will not be included as part of the cross-file check. This means that is possible for a "cross file" check to fail, even when many of the records have very different data in them, but include missing, out-of-range, and "most likely" errors in some inconsistency.
For example, consider a file with ten records. All of the records have data for the element "latest removal date." However, in five of the records the data are out of range. In two more of the records, the data have been identified as the most likely error in some inconsistency. The last three records have valid data in the element, but the data are the same for all three records. In this case, even though the ten records may have different data entered for this element, the three records with valid data were all the same. Therefore, the "cross file" checks will fail and a message will print that says, "All records have the same latest removal YEAR."
If there are no valid values for a particular element, the check cannot be performed. In this case, the message "No valid information submitted for [name of the element]." will be printed in the report.
B.2 Data Errors
This section is a summary of the errors that appear in the Detailed Data Quality Report.
The data errors appear in the second half of the summary report, below the cross-file errors. The data error section has seven columns:
Data Element - the element number
Missing Data - the total number of records where no data were reported (see page * for a list of those elements that are never marked as missing)
Out of Range - the number of records where the value given for the element was not an allowable response (e.g., not one of the allowable codes, an invalid date, or included non-numeric characters). See Appendices A:2 and B:2 for a complete list of out of range checks.
Likely Error - the number of records where the element was determined to be the cause of an inconsistency among a group of data elements
Total Errors - the total number of records with Missing, Out Of Range, or Likely Errors for the element (i.e., the sum of columns 2, 3, and 4 above).
Percent of Total Records - the percentage of records where that element had an error over the total number of records in the file. The total number of records is indicated above the column headings and appears like this:
Data Errors for 00011999 Records
Where 11999 is the total number of records.
Cleaned Errors - the total number of records where the element would be deleted if the file were submitted to the Federal AFCARS. This is the total of out of range errors for the element plus the total number of upper case letters ("A", "B", "C", etc.) in the detailed report. NOTE: This column is not the total of any other columns in the report. It is meant to indicate how many times an element contains an error, which would cause Federal AFCARS to delete the data.
The Adoption Aggregate file is a one-record file that is required to be submitted only once. It contains aggregate data on all children whose adoptions were legalized before AFCARS began on Oct. 1, 1994, but who received any funding after AFCARS began. Instructions for formatting the Adoption Aggregate file are included in Technical Bulletin #2 , revised [January 27, 1999].
There are three rules for formatting this file. First, the State FIPS code must be within range. See Appendix A:2 and B:2 for the out of range rule for the State FIPS code. Second, the Report Period End Date must be in the century compliant format. For example, March 1995 would be coded as "199503." Third, all fields must be numeric and right justified. If any of the fields in the file are invalid, this section of the report will indicate the error, so that the error can be corrected before the file is submitted. If any of these checks fail, the Adoption Aggregate file will not be loaded into the Federal AFCARS database.
B.4 Footnote Errors
Footnotes are an optional part of an AFCARS file. They allow the State to provide an explanation about the data. Footnotes can be provided about an individual AFCARS data element, or about foster care, adoption, or adoption aggregate data in general. However, if footnotes are submitted, they must be properly formatted so that they can be referenced when the data are being reviewed.
At the beginning of every footnote, certain header information is required to ensure that the footnote is properly stored for future reference. This information includes the State FIPS code, the AFCARS report period, the file type (foster care, adoption, or adoption aggregate), and the element number to which it refers. If any of this header information is incorrect, the footnote will not be stored properly. Instructions on how to properly format an AFCARS footnote can be found in AFCARS Technical Bulletin #3: Footnote Guidance, revised March, 2000.
The DQU validates the formatting of the header information in each footnote that is submitted. If any of the components of the header information are incorrect, an error message will appear in this section of the report for whichever file the footnote references (i.e., foster care footnote errors will appear in the foster care report, adoption and adoption aggregate footnote errors will appear in the adoption report). If the file type section of the header is either missing or incorrect, the footnote will appear in both reports.
The report will indicate which footnote has the error by a number corresponding to its position in the file (i.e., the first footnote will be referred to as "Footnote 001", the second will be "Footnote 002", and so on).
IV. Additional Information
If additional information is required, contact the Children's Bureau at (202) 205-8634.
Appendix A:
1. Sample Reports - Adoption
Date: 03/03/2000 09:17AM
File: Test_File.dat
AFCARS Adoption
Detailed Data Quality Report (Version 2)
Report Period Ending Date: March, 2000
Legend:
1 = Missing Data.
2 = Out of Range error. This data will be deleted from the file prior to being loaded into the AFCARS database.
Inconsistent Data
A or a = Most likely error causing inconsistency in Group #1 (Elements 2, 5, 16, 17, 19 - 21, 23, and 24.)
B or b = Most likely error causing inconsistency in Group #2 (Elements 4, 31, 34, and 35.)
C or c = Most likely error causing inconsistency in Group #3 (Elements 9 - 15.)
D or d = Most likely error causing inconsistency in Group #4 (Elements 22 - 28.)
E or e = Most likely error causing inconsistency in Group #5 (Elements 29 - 32.)
F or f = Most likely error causing inconsistency in Group #6 (Elements 35 - 37.)
G or g = Inconsistency error within an element in Group #7 (Elements 7, 25 and 27.)
NOTE: An upper case letter indicates that the data will be deleted if submitted to federal AFCARS.
AFCARS Adoption
Summary Data Quality Report
Report Period Ending Date: March, 2000
Cross File Checks and Errors
Check and Error Description
---------------------------
Element 06: All records have the same gender.
Element 07: 18 record(s) of 33 valid record(s) (54.55%) have the child's race as multi-racial.
Element 07f: 5.88% of the records have child's race coded as "unable to determine."
Element 08: All records have child's Hispanic or Latino origin coded as "yes."
Element 09: All records have the same determination of special needs.
Element 10: All records have the same primary basis for determining special needs.
Element 16: All records have the same birth year for the mother.
Element 17: All records have the same birth year for the father.
Element 18: All records have the same marital status for the mother at the time of the
child's birth.
Element 19: All records have the same TPR date for the mother.
Element 20: All records have the same TPR date for the father.
Element 21: All records have the same legalization date.
Element 23: All records have the same birth year for the adoptive mother.
Element 24: All records have the same birth year for the adoptive father.
Element 25: 16 record(s) of 25 valid record(s) (64.00%) have the adoptive mother's race as
multi-racial.
Element 25f: 16.67% of the records have the adoptive mother's race coded as "unable to determine."
Element 26: All records have the same Hispanic or Latino origin code for the adoptive mother.
Element 27: 22 record(s) of 26 valid record(s) (84.62%) have the adoptive father's race as multi-racial.
Element 27f: 13.33% of the records have the adoptive father's race coded as "unable to determine."
Element 28: All records have the same Hispanic or Latino origin code for the adoptive father.
Element 31: All records indicate the child was not adopted by a foster parent.
Element 32: All records indicate the child was adopted by another non-relative.
Element 34: All records indicate the child was placed by a birth parent.
Element 36: All records have the monthly subsidy amount as: 300.
* * * * * * This report is intended
to identify areas in a State AFCARS data file where the data is of
questionable quality. To determine if this file meets the AFCARS standards
for compliance, process the data file through the State AFCARS Compliance
Utility and check the generated report - AFCARS Data Report. * * * * * *
Adoption Aggregate Errors Error Description -----------------
Invalid Report Period. Invalid Number: Age under 1 year. Invalid
Number: Age 1. Invalid Number: Age 2. Invalid Number: Age 3. Invalid
Number: Age 4. Invalid Number: Age 5. Invalid Number: Age 6. Invalid
Number: Age 7. Invalid Number: Age 8. Invalid Number: Age 9. Invalid
Number: Age 10. Invalid Number: Age 11. Invalid Number: Age 12.
Invalid Number: Age 13. Invalid Number: Age 14. Invalid Number: Age
15. Invalid Number: Age 16. Invalid Number: Age 17. Invalid Number:
Age 18. Invalid Number: Age over 18 years old.
Footnote Errors
Error Description ----------------- Footnote 008: Incorrect State
FIPS code. Footnote 008: Invalid file type. Footnote 011: Incorrect
State FIPS code. Footnote 012: Incorrect State FIPS code. Footnote 013:
Incorrect State FIPS code. Footnote 014: Incorrect State FIPS code.
Footnote 015: Incorrect State FIPS code. Footnote 016: Incorrect State
FIPS code. Footnote 017: Incorrect State FIPS code. Footnote 017:
Invalid report period end date. Footnote 018: Incorrect State FIPS code.
Footnote 018: Invalid report period end date. Footnote 019: Incorrect
State FIPS code. Footnote 019: Invalid report period end date. Footnote
020: Incorrect State FIPS code. Footnote 020: Invalid file type.
Footnote 021: Incorrect State FIPS code. Footnote 021: Invalid element
number. Footnote 022: Incorrect State FIPS code. Footnote 022: Invalid
element number. Footnote 023: Incorrect State FIPS code. Footnote 024:
Incorrect State FIPS code. Footnote 025: Incorrect State FIPS code.
Footnote 026: Incorrect State FIPS code. Footnote 027: Incorrect State
FIPS code. Footnote 027: Invalid report period end date. Footnote 028:
Incorrect State FIPS code. Footnote 028: Invalid report period end date.
Footnote 029: Incorrect State FIPS code. Footnote 029: Invalid report
period end date. Footnote 030: Incorrect State FIPS code. Footnote 030:
Invalid file type. Footnote 031: Incorrect State FIPS code. Footnote
031: Invalid element number. Footnote 032: Incorrect State FIPS code.
Footnote 032: Invalid element number. Footnote 035: Incorrect State FIPS
code. Footnote 035: Invalid report period end date. Footnote 036:
Incorrect State FIPS code. Footnote 036: Invalid report period end date.
Footnote 036: Invalid element number. Footnote 037: Incorrect State FIPS
code. Footnote 037: Invalid report period end date. Footnote 038:
Incorrect State FIPS code. Footnote 038: Invalid report period end date.
Footnote 038: Invalid element number. Footnote 039: Incorrect State FIPS
code. Footnote 039: Invalid report period end date. Footnote 039:
Invalid file type. Footnote 039: Invalid element number.
Please refer to AFCARS Technical Bulletin #3 for instructions on how to properly format footnotes in an AFCARS submission file.
2. Out of Range Checks - Adoption
Adoption Element #1: State
Must be valid State FIPS Code
Must be correct FIPS code for State (to be compared with code entered at processing)
Adoption Element #2: Report Period End Date
Last two characters must be "03" or "09"
Year must be 1995 or after
Cannot be after report period end date for current period
Adoption Element #3: Record Number There are no out of range checks for adoption element #3
Adoption Element #4: State Agency Involvement
Must be "1" or "2"
Adoption Element #5: Child's Birth Date
Must be a valid date
Must be before current date
Year must be 1900 or after
Adoption Element #6: Child's Sex
Must be "1" or "2"
Adoption Element #7a: Child's Race - American Indian or Alaska Native
Must be "0" or "1"
Adoption Element #7b: Child's Race - Asian
Must be "0" or "1"
Adoption Element #7c: Child's Race - Black or African American
Must be "0" or "1"
Adoption Element #7d: Child's Race - Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
Must be "0" or "1"
Adoption Element #7e: Child's Race - White
Must be "0" or "1"
Adoption Element #7f: Child's Race - Unable to Determine
Must be "0" or "1"
Adoption Element #8: Child's Hispanic or Latino Origin
Must be "1", "2", or "3"
Adoption Element #9: Has Agency Determined Special Needs
Must be "1" or "2"
Adoption Element #10: Primary Basis for Determining Special Needs
Must be "0", "1", "2", "3", "4", or "5"
Adoption Element #11: Mental Retardation
Must be "0" or "1"
Adoption Element #12: Visually/Hearing Impaired
Must be "0" or "1"
Adoption Element #13: Physically Disabled
Must be "0" or "1"
Adoption Element #14: Emotionally Disturbed
Must be "0" or "1"
Adoption Element #15: Other Clinically Diagnosed Condition
Must be "0" or "1"
Adoption Element #16: Mother's Year of Birth
Must be before current year
Must be 1900 or after
Adoption Element #17: Father's Year of Birth
Must be before current year
Must be 1900 or after
Adoption Element #18: Was Mother Married at Time of Birth
Must be "1", "2", or "3"
Adoption Element #19: Date of Mother's Termination of Parental Rights
Must be a valid date
Must be before current date
Year must be 1900 or after
Adoption Element #20: Date of Father's Termination of Parental Rights
Must be a valid date
Must be before current date
Year must be 1900 or after
Adoption Element #21: Date of Adoption Legalization
Must be a valid date
Must be before current date
Must be on or after 10/1/1994
Adoption Element #22: Adoptive Family Structure
Must be "1", "2", "3", or "4"
Adoption Element #23: Adoptive Mother's Year of Birth
Must be before current year
Must be 1900 or after
Adoption Element #24: Adoptive Father's Year of Birth
Must be before current year
Must be 1900 or after
Adoption Element #25a: Adoptive Mother's Race - American Indian or Alaska Native
Must be "0" or "1"
Adoption Element #25b: Adoptive Mother's Race - Asian
Must be "0" or "1"
Adoption Element #25c: Adoptive Mother's Race - Black or African American
Must be "0" or "1"
Adoption Element #25d: Adoptive Mother's Race - Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
Must be "0" or "1"
Adoption Element #25e: Adoptive Mother's Race - White
Must be "0" or "1"
Adoption Element #25f: Adoptive Mother's Race - Unable to Determine
Must be "0" or "1"
Adoption Element #26: Adoptive Mother's Hispanic or Latino Origin
Must be "0", "1", "2", or "3"
Adoption Element #27a: Adoptive Father's Race - American Indian or Alaska Native
Must be "0" or "1"
Adoption Element #27b: Adoptive Father's Race - Asian
Must be "0" or "1"
Adoption Element #27c: Adoptive Father's Race - Black or African American
Must be "0" or "1"
Adoption Element #27d: Adoptive Father's Race - Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
Must be "0" or "1"
Adoption Element #27e: Adoptive Father's Race - White
Must be "0" or "1"
Adoption Element #27f: Adoptive Father's Race - Unable to Determine
Must be "0" or "1"
Adoption Element #28: Adoptive Father's Hispanic or Latino Origin
Must be "0", "1", "2", or "3"
Adoption Element #29: Adoptive Parent Previously Related to Child as Stepparent
Must be "0" or "1"
Adoption Element #30: Adoptive Parent Previously Related to Child as Other Relative
Must be "0" or "1"
Adoption Element #31: Adoptive Parent Previously Related to Child as Foster Parent
Must be "0" or "1"
Adoption Element #32: Adoptive Parent Previously Related to Child as Other Non-Relative
Must be "0" or "1"
Adoption Element #33: Child Was Placed from
Must be "1", "2", or "3"
Should not be "another state"
Adoption Element #34: Child Was Placed by
Must be "1", "2", "3", "4", or "5"
Adoption Element #35: Is Subsidy Being Paid on Behalf of Child
Must be "1" or "2"
Adoption Element #36: Monthly Subsidy Amount
Must be a whole number between 00000 - 99999
Adoption Element #37: Is Child Receiving Adoption Assistance
Must be "1" or "2"
3. Cross File Checks - Adoption
NOTE: Cross-file checks include only those records that have valid data for the element in question. If the value in the element is either: 1) blank 2) out of range 3) a likely error due to inconsistency with other data or 4) has been marked as not applicable, that record will not be included in the cross file check. If every record is excluded by one of the four conditions above, a message will be printed that says "No valid data submitted for [the element name]."
Adoption Element #1: State
No cross-file checks are performed on adoption element #1
Adoption Element #2: Report Period End Date
Every record must have the same date
Adoption Element #3: Record Number
No more than one record can have a record number filled with blanks
Adoption Element #4: State Agency Involvement
All records must not be coded as "No"
Adoption Element #5: Child's Birth Date
All records must not have the same year
Adoption Element #6: Child's Sex
All records should not have the same value
Adoption Element #7: Child's Race
All records should not have only one category marked as "applies". This implies that the State has no multi-racial children.
Adoption Element #7a: Child's Race - American Indian or Alaska Native
All records should not have the same value
Adoption Element #7b: Child's Race - Asian
All records should not have the same value
Adoption Element #7c: Child's Race - Black or African American
All records should not have the same value
Adoption Element #7d: Child's Race - Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
All records should not have the same value
Adoption Element #7e: Child's Race - White
All records should not have the same value
Adoption Element #7f: Child's Race - Unable to Determine
No more than 5% of the records should be coded as "unable to determine"
Adoption Element #8: Child's Hispanic or Latino Origin
No more than 5% of the records should be coded as "unable to determine"
All records should not have the same value
Adoption Element #9: Has Agency Determined Special Needs
All records should not have the same value
Adoption Element #10: Primary Basis for Determining Special Needs
All records should not have the same value
Adoption Element #11: Mental Retardation
All records should not have the same value
Adoption Element #12: Visually/Hearing Impaired
All records should not have the same value
Adoption Element #13: Physically Disabled
All records should not have the same value
Adoption Element #14: Emotionally Disturbed
All records should not have the same value
Adoption Element #15: Other Clinically Diagnosed Condition
All records should not have the same value
Adoption Element #16: Mother's Year of Birth
All records should not have the same value
No more than 10% of the records should have this element blank
Adoption Element #17: Father's Year of Birth
All records should not have the same value
No more than 10% of the records should have this element blank
Adoption Element #18: Was Mother Married at Time of Birth
All records should not have the same value
No more than 10% of the records should be coded as "unable to determine"
Adoption Element #19: Date of Mother's Termination of Parental Rights
All records should not have the same date
All records that have valid dates entered for both adoption elements #19 and #20 should not have the same date entered in both
Adoption Element #20: Date of Father's Termination of Parental Rights
All records should not have the same date
All records that have valid dates entered for both adoption elements #19 and #20 should not have the same date entered in both
Adoption Element #21: Date of Adoption Legalization
All records should not have the same date
Adoption Element #22: Adoptive Family Structure
All records should not be coded as "unmarried couple"
All records should not be coded as "single female"
All records should not be coded as "single male"
Adoption Element #23: Adoptive Mother's Year of Birth
All records should not have the same year
Adoption Element #24: Adoptive Father's Year of Birth
All records should not have the same year
Adoption Element #25: Adoptive Mother's Race
All records should not have only one category marked as "applies". This implies that the State has no multi-racial population.
Adoption Element #25a: Adoptive Mother's Race - American Indian or Alaska Native
All records should not have the same value
Adoption Element #25b: Adoptive Mother's Race - Asian
All records should not have the same value
Adoption Element #25c: Adoptive Mother's Race - Black or African American
All records should not have the same value
Adoption Element #25d: Adoptive Mother's Race - Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
All records should not have the same value
Adoption Element #25e: Adoptive Mother's Race - White
All records should not have the same value
Adoption Element #25f: Adoptive Mother's Race - Unable to Determine
No more than 10% of the records should be coded as "unable to determine"
Adoption Element #26: Adoptive Mother's Hispanic or Latino Origin
All records should not have the same value
No more than 10% of the records should be coded as "unable to determine"
Adoption Element #27: Adoptive Father's Race
All records should not have only one category marked as "applies". This implies that the State has no multi-racial population.
Adoption Element #27a: Adoptive Father's Race - American Indian or Alaska Native
All records should not have the same value
Adoption Element #27b: Adoptive Father's Race - Asian
All records should not have the same value
Adoption Element #27c: Adoptive Father's Race - Black or African American
All records should not have the same value
Adoption Element #27d: Adoptive Father's Race - Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
All records should not have the same value
Adoption Element #27e: Adoptive Father's Race - White
All records should not have the same value
Adoption Element #27f: Adoptive Father's Race - Unable to Determine
No more than 10% of the records should be coded as "unable to determine"
Adoption Element #28: Adoptive Father's Hispanic or Latino Origin
All records should not have the same value
No more than 10% of the records should be coded as "unable to determine"
Adoption Element #29: Adoptive Parent Previously Related to Child as Stepparent
All records should not have the same value
Adoption Element #30: Adoptive Parent Previously Related to Child as Other Relative
All records should not have the same value
Adoption Element #31: Adoptive Parent Previously Related to Child as Foster Parent
All records should not have the same value
Adoption Element #32: Adoptive Parent Previously Related to Child as Other Non-Relative
All records should not have the same value
Adoption Element #33: Child Was Placed from
All records should not be coded as "another country"
Adoption Element #34: Child Was Placed by
All records should not be coded as "private agency"
All records should not be coded as "tribal agency"
All records should not be coded as "independent person"
All records should not be coded as "birth parent"
Adoption Element #35: Is Subsidy Being Paid on Behalf of Child
All records should not be coded as "no"
Adoption Element #36: Monthly Subsidy Amount
All records should not have the same value
Adoption Element #37: Is Child Receiving Adoption Assistance
All records should not be coded as "no"
4. Consistency Check Groups - Adoption
TABLE OF ADOPTION GROUP CHECKS
GROUP CHECK NUMBER
DESCRIPTION
01
Checks the logical order among related date Elements.
02
Checks the logical relationship among Elements reporting information on State agency involvement.
03
Checks the logical relationship among Elements reporting information on special needs children.
04
Checks the logical relationship among Elements reporting information on adoptive parents and family structure.
05
Checks the logical relationship among Elements reporting information on child's relationship with adoptive parents.
06
Checks the logical relationship among Elements reporting information on payments of subsidy/Title IV-E adoption assistance.
07
Checks the logical relationship among data Elements reporting race information for the child and adoptive parents.
Adoption Group #1 (marked as "a" or "A" in the Detailed Data Quality
Report)
Adoption Elements Involved:
#02 Report Period End Date
#05 Child's Birth Date
#16 Mother's Birth Year
#17 Father's Birth Year
#19 Date of Mother's Termination of Parental Rights
#20 Date of Father's Termination of Parental Rights
#21 Date of Adoption Legalization
#23 Adoptive Mother's Birth Year
#24 Adoptive Father's Birth Year
Principle of Check:
All dates should be logically ordered. For example, the Legalization Date must fall on or after both Dates of Termination of Parental Rights. Also, the length of time between dates should be within a reasonable range. For example, the Child's Birth Year should not be more than 18 years before the Legalization Date. This check identifies the date(s) that appear to be "out of place."
Adoption Group #2 (marked as "b" or "B" in the Detailed Data Quality Report)
Adoption Elements Involved:
#04 State Agency Involvement
#31 Adoptive Parent Was Previously Related to the Child as a Foster Parent
#34 Child Was Placed By
#35 Is a Subsidy Being Paid on Behalf of the Child
Principle of Check:
If one or more of the following applies to the question "Was the state agency involved in this adoption?": 1) adoptive parent was previously related to the child as a foster parent 2) if the child was placed by a public agency or 3) if a subsidy is being paid on behalf of the child the answer should be "yes".
Adoption Group #3 (marked as "c" or "C" in the Detailed Data Quality Report)
Adoption Elements Involved:
#09 Has the Agency Determined if the Child Is Special Needs
#10 Primary Basis for Determining Special Needs
#11 Mental Retardation
#12 Visually/Hearing Impaired
#13 Physically Disabled
#14 Emotionally Disturbed
#15 Other Medically Diagnosed Condition
Principle of Check:
If the answer to the question "Has the agency determined if this child is special needs?" is "yes", then the primary basis for making this determination should be given. If the primary basis is "medical", at least one of the disabilities (adoption elements #11 - 15) should apply. On the other hand, if a child is indicated as having a type of disability (such as visual or hearing impairment), then the agency would most likely have determined him or her to be special needs (though perhaps for a reason other than medical, such as age or racial group).
Adoption Group #4 (marked as "d" or "D" in the Detailed Data Quality Report)
Adoption Elements Involved:
#22 Foster Caretaker Family Structure
#23 Adoptive Mother's Birth Year
#24 Adoptive Father's Birth Year
#25a, b, c, d, e, f Adoptive Mother's Race
#26 Adoptive Mother's Hispanic or Latino Origin
#27a, b, c, d, e, f Adoptive Father's Race
#28 Adoptive Father's Hispanic or Latino Origin
Principle of Check:
If the family structure is "married couple" or "unmarried couple" then all of the information should be filled out for both adoptive parents (adoption elements #23-28). If the family structure is "single female" then all of the information on the adoptive mother (and none of the information on the adoptive father) should be filled out. If the family structure is "single male" then all of the information on the adoptive father (and none of the information on the adoptive mother) should be filled out.
Adoption Group #5 (marked as "e" or "E" in the Detailed Data Quality Report)
Adoption Elements Involved:
#29 Adoptive Parent Was Previously Related to the Child as a Stepparent
#30 Adoptive Parent Was Previously Related to the Child as an Other Relative
#31 Adoptive Parent Was Previously Related to the Child as a Foster Parent
#32 Adoptive Parent Was Previously Related to the Child as an Other Non-Relative
Principle of Check:
At least one but no more than two of the choices given for the previous relationship of the adoptive parent to the child should be chosen.
Adoption Group #6 (marked as "f" or "F" in the Detailed Data Quality Report)
Adoption Elements Involved:
#35 Is a Monthly Subsidy Being Paid on Behalf of the Child
#36 Amount of Monthly Subsidy
#37 Is the Child Receiving Title IV-E Adoption Assistance
Principle of Check:
If there is no monthly subsidy being paid on behalf of the child, there should be no monthly amount and the child should not be receiving Title IV-E Adoption Assistance. Conversely, if the child is receiving Title IV-E Adoption Assistance, there should be a monthly amount and there should be a monthly subsidy being paid on behalf of the child. However, there can be a monthly amount and a subsidy being paid on behalf of the child and the child may not be receiving Title IV-E Adoption Assistance.
Adoption Group #7 (marked as "g" or "G" in the Detailed Data Quality report)
Adoption Elements Involved:
#7a, b, c, d, e, f Child's Race
#25a, b, c, d, e, f Adoptive Mother's Race
#27a, b, c, d, e, f Adoptive Father's Race
Principle of Check:
For each race element (adoption elements #7, #25, and #27), if at least one race category ('a'-'e') applies, then "Unable to Determine" ('f') should not apply. For each race element, if "Unable to Determine" ('f') applies, then no race category ('a'-'e') should apply. Moreover, if all race categories for a race element are a combination of all blanks and does not apply (coded as "0") or all does not apply (all "0"s), this will result in an error.
Appendix B:
1. Sample Reports - Foster Care
Date: 03/03/2000 09:17AM
File: Test_File.dat
AFCARS Foster Care
Detailed Data Quality Report (Version 2)
Report Period Ending Date: March, 2000
Legend:
1 = Missing Data.
2 = Out of Range error. This data will be deleted from the file prior to being loaded into the AFCARS database.
Inconsistent Data
A or a = Most likely error causing inconsistency in Group #1 (Elements 2, 5, 6, 18, 20 - 23, 45 - 48, 50-51, and 56-57.)
B or b = Most likely error causing inconsistency in Group #2 (Elements 10 - 15 and 33.)
C or c = Most likely error causing inconsistency in Group #3 (Elements 16 - 17.)
D or d = Most likely error causing inconsistency in Group #4 (Elements 18 - 21.)
E or e = Most likely error causing inconsistency in Group #5 (Elements 21 and 23 - 24.)
F or f = Most likely error causing inconsistency in Group #6 (Elements 2, 5, 21, 25, 43, and 56.)
G or g = Most likely error causing inconsistency in Group #7 (Elements 26 - 40.)
H or h = Most likely error causing inconsistency in Group #8 (Elements 44 - 46.)
I or i = Most likely error causing inconsistency in Group #9 (Elements 41 and 49 - 55.)
J or j = Most likely error causing inconsistency in Group #10 (Elements 43, 47 - 48, and 58.)
K or k = Most likely error causing inconsistency in Group #11 (Elements 56 - 58.)
M or m = Most likely error causing inconsistency in Group #12 (Elements 59 - 66.)
N or n = Inconsistency error within an element in Group #13 (Elements 8, 52 and 54.)
NOTE: An upper case letter indicates that the data will be deleted if submitted to federal AFCARS.
Date: 03/03/2000 09:17AM
File: Test_File.dat
AFCARS Foster Care Summary Data Quality Report
Report Period Ending Date: March, 2000
Cross File Checks and Errors
Check and Error Description
Element 03: All records have the same local agency FIPS code.
Element 05: No valid information submitted for review date.
Element 07: All records have the same gender.
Element 08: 33 record(s) of 44 valid record(s) ( 75.00%) have the child's race as multi-racial.
Element 09: All records have child's Hispanic or Latino origin coded as "yes."
Element 10: All records indicate the child has a disability.
Element 11: All records indicate the child has mental retardation.
Element 12: All records indicate the child is visually/hearing impaired.
Element 13: All records indicate the child is physically disabled.
Element 16: 100.00% of the records indicate the child has been previously adopted.
Element 17: All records indicate the child was previously adopted in the same age range.
Element 18: All records indicate the child was first removed in the same YEAR.
Element 19: All records have the same number of removals.
Element 20: All records have the same previous discharge YEAR.
Element 21: All records have the same latest removal YEAR.
Element 22: All records have the same transaction YEAR.
Element 23: All records have the same placement YEAR.
Element 24: All records have the same number of placements.
Element 25: All records have removal from home coded as "voluntary."
Element 26: All records indicate physical abuse as a condition associated with removal.
Element 43: All records have the same case plan goal.
Element 44: All records have the same primary caretaker family structure.
Element 45: All records have the same birth year entered for the 1st primary caretaker.
Element 46: All records have the same birth year entered for the 2nd primary caretaker.
Element 47: No valid information submitted for TPR for the mother.
Element 48: All records have the same YEAR of TPR for the father.
Element 50: All records have the same birth year for the 1st foster caretaker.
Element 51: All records have the same birth year for the 2nd foster caretaker.
Element 52: 15 record(s) from a total of 22 record(s) (68.18%) have the 1st foster caretaker's race as multi-racial.
Element 54: 10 record(s) from a total of 15 record(s) (66.67%) have the 2nd foster caretaker's race as multi-racial.
Element 54f: 15.79% of the records have the 2nd foster caretaker's race coded as "unable to determine."
Element 56: All records have the same discharge date.
Element 57: All records have the same discharge transaction date.
Element 58: All records have the same reason for discharge.
Element 60: All records have the same value for title IVE - adoption.
Element 61: All records have the same value for title IVA - AFDC.
Element 62: All records have the same value for title IVD - child support.
Element 63: All records have Medicaid coded as "does not apply."
Element 64: All records have the same value for SSI.
Element 66: All records have the same monthly amount.
This report is intended to identify areas in a State AFCARS data file where the data is of questionable quality. To determine if this file meets the AFCARS standards for compliance, process the data file through the State AFCARS Compliance Utility and check the generated report - AFCARS Data Report.
* * * * * *
Footnote Errors
Error Description
Footnote 001: Incorrect State FIPS code.
Footnote 002: Incorrect State FIPS code.
Footnote 003: Incorrect State FIPS code.
Footnote 004: Incorrect State FIPS code.
Footnote 005: Invalid report period end date.
Footnote 006: Invalid report period end date.
Footnote 007: Incorrect State FIPS code.
Footnote 007: Invalid report period end date.
Footnote 008: Incorrect State FIPS code.
Footnote 008: Invalid file type.
Footnote 009: Incorrect State FIPS code.
Footnote 009: Invalid element number.
Footnote 010: Invalid element number.
Footnote 020: Incorrect State FIPS code.
Footnote 020: Invalid file type.
Footnote 030: Invalid file type.
Footnote 033: Incorrect State FIPS code.
Footnote 033: Invalid report period end date.
Footnote 034: Invalid report period end date.
Footnote 034: Invalid element number.
Footnote 039: Invalid report period end date.
Footnote 039: Invalid file type.
Footnote 039: Invalid element number.
Please refer to AFCARS Technical Bulletin #3 for instructions on how to properly format footnotes in an AFCARS submission file.
2. Out of Range Checks - Foster Care
Foster Care Element #1: State
Must be valid State FIPS Code
Must be correct FIPS code for State (to be compared with code entered at processing)
Foster Care Element #2: Report Period End Date
Last two characters must be "03" or "09"
Year must be 1995 or after
Cannot be after report period end date for current period
Foster Care Element #3: Local FIPS Code
Must be a valid FIPS code for State
First two digits must match State FIPS code
Foster Care Element #4: Record Number
There are no out of range checks for foster care element #4
Foster Care Element #5: Date of Most Recent Periodic Review
Must be a valid date
Must be before current date
Year must be 1900 or after
Foster Care Element #6: Child's Birth Date
Must be a valid date
Must be before current date
Year must be 1900 or after
Foster Care Element #7: Child's Sex
Must be "1" or "2"
Foster Care Element #8a: Child's Race - American Indian or Alaska Native
Must be "0" or "1"
Foster Care Element #8b: Child's Race - Asian
Must be "0" or "1"
Foster Care Element #8c: Child's Race - Black or African American
Must be "0" or "1"
Foster Care Element #8d: Child's Race - Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
Must be "0" or "1"
Foster Care Element #8e: Child's Race - White
Must be "0" or "1"
Foster Care Element #8f: Child's Race - Unable to Determine
Must be "0" or "1"
Foster Care Element #9: Child's Hispanic or Latino Origin
Must be "1", "2", or "3"
Foster Care Element #10: Does Child Have Disability?
Must be "1", "2", or "3"
Foster Care Element #11: Mental Retardation
Must be "0" or "1"
Foster Care Element #12: Visually/Hearing Impaired
Must be "0" or "1"
Foster Care Element #13: Physically Disabled
Must be "0" or "1"
Foster Care Element #14: Emotionally Disturbed
Must be "0" or "1"
Foster Care Element #15: Other Clinically Diagnosed Condition
Must be "0" or "1"
Foster Care Element #16: Was Child Ever Adopted?
Must be "1", "2", or "3"
Foster Care Element #17: Child's Age at Adoption
Must be "0", "1", "2", "3", "4", or "5"
Foster Care Element #18: Date of First Removal
Must be a valid date
Must be before current date
Year must be 1900 or after
Foster Care Element #19: Total Number of Removals from Home
Must be a number between 01 - 99
Foster Care Element #20: Date of Discharge from Last Episode
Must be a valid date
Must be before current date
Year must be 1900 or after
Foster Care Element #21: Date of Latest Removal from Home
Must be a valid date
Must be before current date
Year must be 1900 or after
Foster Care Element #22: Transaction Date of Latest Removal From Home
Must be a valid date
Must be before current date
Year must be 1900 or after
Foster Care Element #23: Date of Placement in Current Setting
Must be a valid date
Must be before current date
Year must be 1900 or after
Foster Care Element #24: Number of Placements in this Episode
Must be a number between 01 - 99
Foster Care Element #25: Manner of Removal from Home
Must be "1", "2", or "3"
Foster Care Element #26: Physical Abuse (Alleged/Reported)
Must be "0" or "1"
Foster Care Element #27: Sexual Abuse (Alleged/Reported)
Must be "0" or "1"
Foster Care Element #28: Neglect (Alleged/Reported)
Must be "0" or "1"
Foster Care Element #29: Alcohol Abuse (Parent)
Must be "0" or "1"
Foster Care Element #30: Drug Abuse (Parent)
Must be "0" or "1"
Foster Care Element #31: Alcohol Abuse (Child)
Must be "0" or "1"
Foster Care Element #32: Drug Abuse (Child)
Must be "0" or "1"
Foster Care Element #33: Child Disability
Must be "0" or "1"
Foster Care Element #34: Child Behavior Problem
Must be "0" or "1"
Foster Care Element #35: Death of Parent
Must be "0" or "1"
Foster Care Element #36: Incarceration of Parent
Must be "0" or "1"
Foster Care Element #37: Caretaker Inability to Cope
Must be "0" or "1"
Foster Care Element #38: Abandonment
Must be "0" or "1"
Foster Care Element #39: Relinquishment
Must be "0" or "1"
Foster Care Element #40: Inadequate Housing
Must be "0" or "1"
Foster Care Element #41: Current Placement Setting
Must be "1", "2", "3", "4", "5", "6", "7", or "8"
Foster Care Element #42: Out-of-State Placement
Must be "1" or "2"
Foster Care Element #43: Case Plan Goal
Must be "1", "2", "3", "4", "5", "6", or "7"
Foster Care Element #44: Caretaker Family Structure
Must be "1", "2", "3", "4", or "5"
Foster Care Element #45: 1 st Primary Caretaker's Birth Year
Must be before current year
Must be 1900 or after
Foster Care Element #46: 2 nd Primary Caretaker's Birth Year
Must be before current year
Must be 1900 or after
Foster Care Element #47: Mother's Date of Termination of Parental Rights
Must be a valid date
Must be before current date
Year must be 1900 or after
Foster Care Element #48: Father's Date of Termination of Parental Rights
Must be a valid date
Must be before current date
Year must be 1900 or after
Foster Care Element #49: Foster Family Structure
Must be "0", "1", "2", "3", or "4"
Foster Care Element #50: 1 st Foster Caretaker's Birth Year
Must be before current year
Must be 1900 or after
Foster Care Element #51: 2 nd Foster Caretaker's Birth Year
Must be before current year
Must be 1900 or after
Foster Care Element #52a: 1 st Foster Caretaker's Race - American Indian or Alaska Native
Must be "0" or "1"
Foster Care Element #52b: 1 st Foster Caretaker's Race - Asian
Must be "0" or "1"
Foster Care Element #52c: 1 st Foster Caretaker's Race - Black or African American
Must be "0" or "1"
Foster Care Element #52d: 1 st Foster Caretaker's Race - Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
Must be "0" or "1"
Foster Care Element #52e: 1 st Foster Caretaker's Race - White
Must be "0" or "1"
Foster Care Element #52f: 1 st Foster Caretaker's Race - Unable to Determine
Must be "0" or "1"
Foster Care Element #53: 1 st Foster Caretaker's Hispanic or Latino Origin
Must be "0", "1", "2", or "3"
Foster Care Element #54a: 2 nd Foster Caretaker's Race - American Indian or Alaska Native
Must be "0" or "1"
Foster Care Element #54b: 2 nd Foster Caretaker's Race - Asian
Must be "0" or "1"
Foster Care Element #54c: 2 nd Foster Caretaker's Race - Black or African American
Must be "0" or "1"
Foster Care Element #54d: 2 nd Foster Caretaker's Race - Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
Must be "0" or "1"
Foster Care Element #54e: 2 nd Foster Caretaker's Race - White
Must be "0" or "1"
Foster Care Element #54f: 2 nd Foster Caretaker's Race - Unable to Determine
Must be "0" or "1"
Foster Care Element #55: 2 nd Foster Caretaker's Hispanic or Latino Origin
Must be "0", "1", "2", or "3"
Foster Care Element #56: Date of Discharge
Must be a valid date
Must be before current date
Year must be 1900 or after
Foster Care Element #57: Transaction Date of Discharge
Must be a valid date
Must be before current date
Year must be 1900 or after
Foster Care Element #58: Reason for Discharge
Must be "0", "1", "2", "3", "4", "5", "6", "7", or "8"
Foster Care Element #59: Title IV-E (Foster Care)
Must be "0" or "1"
Foster Care Element #60: Title IV-E (Adoption Assistance)
Must be "0" or "1"
Foster Care Element #61: Title IV-A (AFDC)
Must be "0" or "1"
Foster Care Element #62: Title IV-D (Child Support)
Must be "0" or "1"
Foster Care Element #63: Title XIX (Medicaid)
Must be "0" or "1"
Foster Care Element #64: SSI or Other Social Security
Must be "0" or "1"
Foster Care Element #65: None of the Above
Must be "0" or "1"
Foster Care Element #66: Monthly Amount
Must be a whole number between 00000 - 9999
3. Cross File Checks - Foster Care
NOTE: Cross-file checks include only those records that have valid data for the element in question. If the value in the element is either: 1) blank 2) out of range 3) a likely error due to inconsistency with other data or 4) has been marked as not applicable, that record will not be included in the cross file check. If every record is excluded by one of the four conditions above, a message will be printed that says "No valid data submitted for [the element name]."
Foster Care Element #1: State
No cross-file checks are performed on this element
Foster Care Element #2: Report Period End Date
All records must have the same date
Foster Care Element #3: Local FIPS Code
All records should not have the same FIPS code
Foster Care Element #4: Record Number
No more than one record should have a record number filled with blanks
Foster Care Element #5: Date of Most Recent Periodic Review
All records should not have the same date
Foster Care Element #6: Child's Birth Date
All records should not have the same year
Foster Care Element #7: Child's Sex
All records should not have the same value
Foster Care Element #8: Child's Race
All records should not have only one category marked "applies". This implies that the State has no multi-racial children.
Foster Care Element #8a: Child's Race - American Indian or Alaska Native
All records should not have the same value
Foster Care Element #8b: Child's Race - Asian
All records should not have the same value
Foster Care Element #8c: Child's Race - Black or African American
All records should not have the same value
Foster Care Element #8d: Child's Race - Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
All records should not have the same value
Foster Care Element #8e: Child's Race - White
All records should not have the same value
Foster Care Element #8f: Child's Race - Unable to Determine
No more than 5% of the records should be coded as "unable to determine"
Foster Care Element #9: Child's Hispanic or Latino Origin
No more than 5% of the records should be coded as "unable to determine"
All records should not have the same value
Foster Care Element #10: Does Child Have Disability
All records should not have the same value
Foster Care Element #11: Mental Retardation
All records should not have the same value
Foster Care Element #12: Visually/Hearing Impaired
All records should not have the same value
Foster Care Element #13: Physically Disabled
All records should not have the same value
Foster Care Element #14: Emotionally Disturbed
All records should not have the same value
Foster Care Element #15: Other Clinically Diagnosed Condition
All records should not have the same value
Foster Care Element #16: Was Child Ever Adopted?
All records should not have the same value
No more than 5% of records should be coded as "yes"
No more than 5% of records should be coded as "unable to determine"
Foster Care Element #17: Child's Age at Adoption
All records should not have the same value
Foster Care Element #18: Date of First Removal
All records should not have the same year
Foster Care Element #19: Total Number of Removals from Home
All records should not indicate more than 10 removals
All records should not have the same value
Foster Care Element #20: Date of Discharge from Last Episode
No cross-file checks are performed on this element
Foster Care Element #21: Date of Latest Removal from Home
All records should not have the same year
Foster Care Element #22: Transaction Date of Latest Removal From Home
All records should not have the same year
Foster Care Element #23: Date of Placement in Current Setting
All records should not have the same year
Foster Care Element #24: Number of Placements in this Episode
All records should not indicate more than 10 placements
All records should not have the same value
Foster Care Element #25: Manner of Removal from Home
All records should not be coded as "voluntary"
All records should not be coded as "not yet determined"
Foster Care Element #26: Physical Abuse (Alleged/Reported)
All records should not be coded as "applies"
Foster Care Element #27: Sexual Abuse (Alleged/Reported)
All records should not be coded as "applies"
Foster Care Element #28: Neglect (Alleged/Reported)
All records should not be coded as "applies"
Foster Care Element #29: Alcohol Abuse (Parent)
All records should not be coded as "applies"
Foster Care Element #30: Drug Abuse (Parent)
All records should not be coded as "applies"
Foster Care Element #31: Alcohol Abuse (Child)
All records should not be coded as "applies"
Foster Care Element #32: Drug Abuse (Child)
All records should not be coded as "applies"
Foster Care Element #33: Child Disability
All records should not be coded as "applies"
Foster Care Element #34: Child Behavior Problem
All records should not be coded as "applies"
Foster Care Element #35: Death of Parent
All records should not be coded as "applies"
Foster Care Element #36: Incarceration of Parent
All records should not be coded as "applies"
Foster Care Element #37: Caretaker Inability to Cope
All records should not be coded as "applies"
Foster Care Element #38: Abandonment
All records should not be coded as "applies"
Foster Care Element #39: Relinquishment
All records should not be coded as "applies"
Foster Care Element #40: Inadequate Housing
All records should not be coded as "applies"
Foster Care Element #41: Current Placement Setting
All records should not have the same value
Foster Care Element #42: Out-of-State Placement
All records should not indicate "yes"
Foster Care Element #43: Case Plan Goal
All records should not have the same value
Foster Care Element #44: Caretaker Family Structure
All records should not have the same value
No more than 10% of the records should be coded as "unable to determine"
Foster Care Element #45: 1st Primary Caretaker's Birth Year
All records should not have the same year
Foster Care Element #46: 2nd Primary Caretaker's Birth Year
All records should not have the same year
Foster Care Element #47: Mother's Date of Termination of Parental Rights
All records should not have the same year
All records that have valid dates entered for both foster care elements #47 and #48 should not have the same date in both
Foster Care Element #48: Father's Date of Termination of Parental Rights
All records should not have the same year
All records that have valid dates entered for both foster care elements #47 and #48 should not have the same date in both
Foster Care Element #49: Foster Family Structure
All records should not have the same value
Foster Care Element #50: 1st Foster Caretaker's Birth Year
All records should not have the same year
Foster Care Element #51: 2nd Foster Caretaker's Birth Year
All records should not have the same year
Foster Care Element #52: 1st Foster Caretaker's Race
All records should not have only one category marked as "applies". This implies that the State has no multi-racial population.
Foster Care Element #52a: 1st Foster Caretaker's Race - American Indian or Alaska Native
All records should not have the same value
Foster Care Element #52b: 1st Foster Caretaker's Race - Asian
All records should not have the same value
Foster Care Element #52c: 1st Foster Caretaker's Race - Black or African American
All records should not have the same value
Foster Care Element #52d: 1st Foster Caretaker's Race - Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
All records should not have the same value
Foster Care Element #52e: 1st Foster Caretaker's Race - White
All records should not have the same value
Foster Care Element #52f: 1st Foster Caretaker's Race - Unable to Determine
No more than 10% of the records should be coded as "unable to determine"
Foster Care Element #53: 1st Foster Caretaker's Hispanic or Latino Origin
All records should not have the same value
No more than 10% of the records should be coded as "unable to determine"
Foster Care Element #54: 2nd Foster Caretaker's Race
All records should not have only one category marked as "applies". This implies that the State has no multi-racial population.
Foster Care Element #54a: 2nd Foster Caretaker's Race - American Indian or Alaska Native
All records should not have the same value
Foster Care Element #54b: 2nd Foster Caretaker's Race - Asian
All records should not have the same value
Foster Care Element #54c: 2nd Foster Caretaker's Race - Black or African American
All records should not have the same value
Foster Care Element #54d: 2nd Foster Caretaker's Race - Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
All records should not have the same value
Foster Care Element #54e: 2nd Foster Caretaker's Race - White
All records should not have the same value
Foster Care Element #54f: 2nd Foster Caretaker's Race - Unable to Determine
No more than 10% of the records should be coded as "unable to determine"
Foster Care Element #55: 2nd Foster Caretaker's Hispanic or Latino Origin
All records should not have the same value
No more than 10% of the records should be coded as "unable to determine"
Foster Care Element #56: Date of Discharge
All records should not have the same date
Foster Care Element #57: Transaction Date of Discharge
All records should not have the same date
Foster Care Element #58: Reason for Discharge
All records should not have the same value
Foster Care Element #59: Title IV-E (Foster Care)
All records should not be coded as "does not apply"
Foster Care Element #60: Title IV-E (Adoption Assistance)
All records should not have the same value
Foster Care Element #61: Title IV-A (AFDC)
All records should not have the same value
Foster Care Element #62: Title IV-D (Child Support)
All records should not have the same value
Foster Care Element #63: Title XIX (Medicaid)
All records should not be coded as "does not apply"
Foster Care Element #64: SSI or Other Social Security
All records should not have the same value
Foster Care Element #65: None of the Above
All records should not be coded as "applies"
Foster Care Element #66: Monthly Amount
All records should not have the same value
4. Consistency Check Groups - Foster Care
TABLE OF FOSTER CARE GROUP CHECKS:
GROUP CHECK NUMBER
DESCRIPTION
01
Checks the logical order among related date Elements.
02
Checks the logical relationship among Elements reporting information on child's disabilities.
03
Checks the logical relationship among Elements reporting information on child's adoption history.
04
Checks the logical relationship among Elements reporting information on child's removal and discharge from home.
05
Checks the logical relationship among Elements reporting information on child's latest removal date, date of placement in current setting and number of placements.
06
Checks the logical relationship among Elements reporting information on manner of removal and case plan goal with dates of latest removal, most recent periodic review and discharge.
07
Checks the logical relationship among Elements reporting information on condition associated with removal.
08
Checks the logical relationship among Elements reporting information on caretakers family structure and 1 st & 2 nd principal caretakers.
09
Checks the logical relationship among Elements reporting information on current placement setting, caretaker family structure and 1 st & 2 nd foster caretakers.
10
Checks the logical relationship among Elements reporting information on dates of termination of mother's/father's parental rights, reason of discharge and most recent case plan goal.
11
Checks the logical relationship among Elements reporting information on dates of discharge, transaction date and reason of discharge.
12
Checks the logical relationship among Elements reporting information on sources of Federal support and monthly amount.
13
Checks the logical relationship among Elements reporting race information for the child and foster caretakers.
Foster Care Group #1 (marked as "a" or "A" in the Detailed Data Quality report)
Foster Care Elements Involved:
#02 Report Period End Date
#05 Date of Most Recent Periodic Review
#06 Child's Birth Date
#18 Date of First Removal from Home
#20 Date of Discharge from Previous Episode
#21 Date of Latest Removal from Home
#22 Transaction Date of Latest Removal from Home
#23 Date of Placement in Current Setting
#45 1 st Primary Caretaker's Birth Year
#46 2 nd Primary Caretaker's Birth Year
#47 Date of Mother's Termination of Parental Rights
#48 Date of Father's Termination of Parental Rights
#50 1 st Foster Caretaker's Birth Year
#51 2 nd Foster Caretaker's Birth Year
#56 Date of Discharge
#57 Transaction Date of Discharge
Principle of Check:
All dates should be logically ordered. For example, the Discharge Date must come after the Latest Removal Date. Also, the length of time between dates should be within a reasonable range. For example, the Child's Birth Year should not be more than 21 years before his or her latest removal date. This check identifies the date(s) that appear to be "out of place."
Foster Care Group #2 (marked as "b" or "B" in the Detailed Data Quality Report)
Foster Care Elements Involved:
#10 Has the Child Been Clinically Diagnosed with a Disability
#11 Mental Retardation
#12 Visually/Hearing Impaired
#13 Physically Disabled
#14 Emotionally Disturbed
#15 Other Medically Diagnosed Condition
#33 Condition Associated with Removal - Child Disability
Principle of Check:
If one of the conditions associated with the removal of the child was that he/she has a medically diagnosed disability, then the answer to the question "Has the child been clinically diagnosed with a disability?" should be "yes" and at least one of the disabilities (foster care elements #11-15) should be identified. Likewise, if a child is indicated as having a type of disability (such as visual or hearing impairment) the answer to "Has the child been clinically diagnosed with a disability" should be "yes". However, even though a child has been clinically diagnosed with a disability does not mean that it was a condition associated with removal.
Foster Care Group #3 (marked as "c" or "C" in the Detailed Data Quality Report)
Foster Care Elements Involved:
#16 Has the Child Been Previously Adopted?
#17 Age at that Adoption
Principle of Check:
If a child is known to have been adopted before, then the child's age at that adoption should be reported. Likewise, if a child's age at a previous adoption is known, the answer to the question "Has the child been previously adopted?" should be "yes".
Foster Care Group #4 (marked as "d" or "D" in the Detailed Data Quality Report)
Foster Care Elements Involved:
#18 Date of First Removal from Home
#19 Total Number of Removals from Home
#20 Date of Discharge from Previous Episode
#21 Date of Latest Removal from Home
Principle of Check:
If a child is in his or her first episode, the first removal date and the latest removal date should be the same and there should be no previous discharge date. If the child is in his or her second or more episode, the first removal date should be equal or prior to the previous discharge date which, in turn, should be equal or prior to the date of latest removal.
Foster Care Group #5 (marked as "e" or "E" in the Detailed Data Quality Report)
Foster Care Elements Involved:
#21 Date of Latest Removal from Home
#23 Date of Placement in Current Setting
#24 Total Number of Placements in the Current Episode
Principle of Check:
If the child is in his or her first placement, the date of placement will most likely be the same as the date of latest removal. If the child is in his or her second or more placement, the date of placement should most likely be after the date of latest removal.
Foster Care Group #6 (marked as "f" or "F" in the Detailed Data Quality Report)
Foster Care Elements Involved:
#02 Report Period End Date
#05 Date of Most Recent Periodic Review
#21 Date of Latest Removal from Home
#25 Manner of Removal from Home
#43 Most Recent Case Plan Goal
#56 Date of Discharge
Principle of Check:
If the child has been in care for longer than 30 days or if there is a valid Date of Most Recent Periodic Review then the Manner of Removal cannot be "not yet determined" and the Case Plan Goal cannot be "not yet established."
A child is considered to be in care for longer than 30 days if the Discharge Date is more than 30 days after the Date of Latest Removal. If there is no Discharge Date, then the Report Period End Date is used.
A Review Date is considered to be valid if it occurred on or after the Date of Latest Removal and on or before the Discharge Date, if one is entered.
Foster Care Group #7 (marked as "g" or "G" in the Detailed Data Quality Report)
Foster Care Elements Involved:
#26 Condition Associated with Removal - Physical Abuse
#27 Condition Associated with Removal - Sexual Abuse
#28 Condition Associated with Removal - Neglect
#29 Condition Associated with Removal - Alcohol Abuse (Parent)
#30 Condition Associated with Removal - Drug Abuse (Parent)
#31 Condition Associated with Removal - Alcohol Abuse (Child)
#32 Condition Associated with Removal - Drug Abuse (Child)
#33 Condition Associated with Removal - Child Disability
#34 Condition Associated with Removal - Child Behavior Problem
#35 Condition Associated with Removal - Death of Parent
#36 Condition Associated with Removal - Incarceration of Parent
#37 Condition Associated with Removal - Caretaker Inability to Cope
#38 Condition Associated with Removal - Abandonment
#39 Condition Associated with Removal - Relinquishment
#40 Condition Associated with Removal - Inadequate Housing
Principle of Check:
At least one of the conditions associated with removal should apply.
Foster Care Group #8 (marked as "h" or "H" in the Detailed Data Quality Report)
Foster Care Elements Involved:
#44 Caretaker Family Structure
#45 1 st Principle Caretaker's Birth Year
#46 2 nd Principle Caretaker's Birth Year
Principle of Check:
If the Caretaker Family Structure is either "married couple" or "unmarried couple", birth years should be entered for both caretakers. If the Caretaker Family Structure is either "single female" or "single male", only one birth year should be entered. If the Caretaker Family Structure is "unable to determine" there should most likely be no birth years entered.
Foster Care Group #9 (marked as "i" or "I" in the Detailed Data Quality Report)
Foster Care Elements Involved:
#41 Current Placement Setting
#49 Foster Caretaker Family Structure
#50 1 st Foster Caretaker's Birth Year
#51 2 nd Foster Caretaker's Birth Year
#52a, b, c, d, e, f 1 st Foster Caretaker's Race
#53 1 st Foster Caretaker's Hispanic or Latino Origin
#54a, b, c, d, e, f 2 nd Foster Caretaker's Race
#55 2 nd Foster Caretaker's Hispanic or Latino Origin
Principle of Check:
If the child is in a foster home type setting (pre-adoptive home, relative foster home, or non-relative foster home), there should be a family structure, and the information on the parents should be consistent with that structure (e.g., if the structure is "married couple" then all of the information should be filled out for both foster caretakers). If the child is not in a foster home (group home, institution, or supervised independent living), there should be no family structure and no information filled out for either of the caretakers.
Foster Care Group #10 (marked as "j" or "J" in the Detailed Data Quality Report)
Foster Care Elements Involved:
#43 Most Recent Case Plan Goal
#47 Date of Mother's Termination of Parental Rights
#48 Date of Father's Termination of Parental Rights
#58 Reason for Discharge
Principle of Check:
If a child is discharged from foster care because he or she has been adopted, there should be dates of termination of parental rights for both the mother and the father and it is likely that the most recent case plan goal should be adoption. Likewise, it is unlikely that a child with a case plan goal of adoption would be discharged for some other reason and with neither of his or her parents having their parental rights terminated.
Foster Care Group #11 (marked as "k" or "K" in the Detailed Data Quality Report)
Foster Care Elements Involved:
#56 Date of Discharge
#57 Transaction Date of Discharge
#58 Reason for Discharge
Principle of Check:
If a child has been discharged, there should be a date of discharge, a transaction date of discharge, and a reason for discharge.
Foster Care Group #12 (marked as "m" or "M" in the Detailed Data Quality Report)
Foster Care Elements Involved:
#59 Source of Federal Financial Support - Title IV-E (Foster Care)
#60 Source of Federal Financial Support - Title IV-E (Adoption)
#61 Source of Federal Financial Support - Title IV-A
#62 Source of Federal Financial Support - Title IV-D (Child Support)
#63 Source of Federal Financial Support - Title XIX (Medicaid)
#64 Source of Federal Financial Support - SSI or Other
#65 None of the Above
#66 Monthly Amount
Principle of Check:
If any of the sources of Federal support (foster care elements #59-64) apply, then "None of the Above" (foster care element #65) should not apply. If any of the sources of Federal support applies (except for Medicaid, foster care element #63, which should be marked as applies if the child is eligible for Medicaid funding) , then the Monthly Amount should be greater than 0.
Foster Care Group #13 (marked as "n" or "N" in the Detailed Data Quality report)
Foster Care Elements Involved:
#8a, b, c, d, e, f Child's Race
#52a, b, c, d, e, f Race of 1 st Foster Caretaker
#54a, b, c, d, e, f Race of 2 nd Foster Caretaker
Principle of Check:
For each race element (foster care elements #8, #52, and #54), if at least one race category ('a' -' e') applies, then "Unable to Determine" ('f') should not apply. For each race element, if "Unable to Determine" ('f') applies, then no race category ('a' - 'e') should apply. Moreover, if all race categories for a race element are a combination of all blanks and does not apply (coded as "0") or all does not apply (all "0"s), this will result in an error.
1 Initial issuance date, November 1, 1996 as TB #14. 2 Revised format for race categories, see ACYF-CB-PI-99-01, January 27, 1999 and 65 FR 4019.
