Maltreatment in Care

DCYF works to ensure the safety of children who are in the placement and care authority of DCYF, including children who are placed in licensed care, those placed with unlicensed kin, and those placed with their parents on a trial return home. We measure the number of founded reports of maltreatment for the total number of days children were in DCYF placement and care authority and display this as the rate of maltreatment per 100,000 care-days. In state fiscal year 2022, the rate was 7.9; the federal target is 6.8 or less.

DCYF attempts to place children and youth with relatives whenever it is safe and possible. To balance these efforts, we are monitoring the rates of maltreatment by placement setting. In most years, rates of maltreatment are lower in kinship care than in foster care.

Rate of Victimization of Children in Out-of-Home Care, per 100,000 Days in Care, SFY 2010-2022
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Rate of Victimization of Children in Out-of-Home Care, per 100,000 Days in Care, by Placement Setting, SFY 2010-2022
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