Child Welfare

Numbers of children and youth entering and exiting out-of-home placement is another driver indicator for number of children and youth in out-of-home care. The number of children and youth entering out-of-home care has been declining since 2017. In SFY 2023, 3,302 children and youth entered out-of-home care, while 4,022 exited.

Children Entering and Exiting Out of Home Placement, SFY 2010-2023

 

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Children Entering and Exiting Out of Home Placement, SFY 2010-2023

Source: DCYF. (October 2023). Out of home exits and entries [July 2009-June 2023]. infoFamlink.
Notes: Entries identify the number of children who entered out-of-home care and were in the Placement and Care Authority (PCA) of DCYF. Exits identify each child that achieved permanency within each year, dismissing them from the PCA of DCYF.

DCYF strives to return children and youth home as soon as safely possible, and when this is not possible – to place them in an alternate permanent home.  The agency monitors the median length of stay for children in out-of-home care as a driver indicator for the number of children and youth in out-of-home care.  In state fiscal year 2021, the most recent year that can be reported, the median length of stay was 534 days, an increase of 68 days from the previous year.

Median Length of Stay (in Days) in Out-of-Home Care, SFY 2010-2021

 

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Median Length of Stay (in Days) in Out-of-Home Care, SFY 2010-2021

Source: DCYF. (October 2023). Child welfare priority performance measures [July 2009-June 2021]. infoFamlink.
Notes: Median number of days children are placed in out-of-home care on the last day of the state fiscal year. Episodes of less than seven days are not included, but days spent in any Trial Return Home period are included up to a maximum of 30 days. The cases included in this metric calculation have been changed from those with 60+ days in out-of-home care to those with 7+ days in out-of-home care. The metric has been updated to reflect the new standard, and as a result, medians for all years are lower than previously reported. 
“Median” is the middle number in a list of numbers in value order (for example, lowest to highest). There is an equal probability of falling above or below the median.

The second DCYF education outcome goal is that youth are engaged in school. Youth who feel more connected or committed to school are more likely to achieve positive academic outcomes and are less likely to experience mental health issues.

Engagement in school can be measured by the Healthy Youth Survey’s index of engagement in school, which captures information on decision-making opportunities at school, one-on-one opportunities with teachers, opportunities to work on special projects, extracurricular opportunities, and feeling a part of class activities or discussions. 2021 Healthy Youth Survey results show that 70.4% of 10th graders living with parents/guardians report a high level of engagement at school, compared to 61.7% of students who do not live with parents/guardians.

10th Graders with High Levels of School Engagement, by Living Situation, 2021

 

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10th Graders with High Levels of School Engagement, by Living Situation, 2021

Source: Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, Health Care Authority Division of Behavioral Health and Recovery, & Liquor and Cannabis Control Board (2021). Healthy Youth Survey [2021]. https://askhys.net
Notes: "Does Not Live with Parents/Guardians" includes students who live with other relatives (kinship care), who are in foster care, or who have other living situations.