Chafee National Youth in Transition Database NYTD Proposed Rule

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Chafee National Youth in Transition Database
(NYTD) Proposed Rule
Presentation Developed by The Childrens
Bureau Administration on Children, Youth, and
Families Administration for Children and
Families, Department of Health and Human
Services
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Statutory Background

• Public Law 106-169 established the John H. Chafee
  Foster Care Independence Program (CFCIP).
• Most provisions of the CFCIP can be found in 477
  of the Social Security Act (the Act).
• CFCIP provides States with flexible funding to
  carry out programs that assist youth in making
  the transition from foster care to
  self-sufficiency.

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Data Requirements in Law

• The statute requires ACF to develop a data
  collection system (477(f) of the Act) that
  allows us to
• Track the number and characteristics of children
  receiving independent living services,
• Track the type and quantity of independent living
  services States provide to youth, and
• Develop outcome measures to assess States
  performance.
• The statute also requires ACF to impose a penalty
  for a States noncompliance with data collection
  reporting requirements (477(e)(2) of the Act)

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Consultation - Stakeholders

• ACF consulted with a variety of stakeholders over
  several years to gather information regarding
  outcomes, measures, and reporting, including
• Child welfare agency administrators
• State, Tribal, local independent living
  coordinators
• Public private youth services providers
• Child welfare advocates
• Current former foster youth parents
• Information systems managers (public and private
  sector)
• Developers, managers, users of AFCARS, NCANDS,
  RHYMIS

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Consultation Pilot Test

• ACF conducted a pilot test through the assistance
  of a contractor which helped to inform the draft
  regulation. The pilot
• involved seven (7) pilot States and an Indian
  tribe
• served as a field test of some data elements,
  definitions and procedures
• assisted CB in defining the data collection
  burden and,
• allowed CB to assess the capacity of pilot States
  to collect data.

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Overview of NYTD Proposed Rule

• We propose that States will engage in two data
  collection reporting activities that relate to
• Youth who receive independent living services
• The outcomes of youth who are aging out or have
  aged out of foster care
• States will collect independent living services
  information continuously, and outcomes
  information on a periodic schedule.
• States will report the data collected (services
  and outcomes information) to ACF on a semi-annual
  basis.

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Proposal Information on Youth Services

• States will collect information on any youth
  receiving an independent living service during
  the 6 month report period.
• Service data are collected regardless of the
  youths age (e.g., could be 14 or 22 years old
  depending on the States eligible service
  population)
• Service data are collected regardless of whether
  the youth is in foster care at the time of the
  service
• For the purposes of collecting information, the
  term independent living services means
• An independent living service paid for or
  provided by the State CFCIP agency, and
• Includes an independent living service regardless
  of the manner in which it is delivered (e.g.,
  inclusive of services provided through a foster
  parent, contracted service provider, other public
  agency, etc. ).

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Proposal Information on Youth Services
States will report that a youth received an
independent living service during the report
period in one or more of the following 11
categories

• Housing education home management training
• Health education risk prevention
• Family support healthy marriage education
• Mentoring
• Supervised independent living

• Independent living needs assessment
• Academic support
• Post-secondary educational support
• Career preparation
• Employment programs or vocational training
• Budget and financial management

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Proposal Information on Youth Outcomes

• To gather information on youth outcomes, we
  propose that States will collect and report data
  over time (i.e., longitudinal design)
• States will collect data on a cohort of youth,
  with a new cohort beginning every three years.
  The cohort consists of the
• Baseline population All youth who are in
  foster care at 17 years of age.
• Follow-up population - The same 17-year olds,
  who are surveyed as they age at 19 years old and
  again at 21 years old, regardless of whether they
  remain in foster care.
• States will need to institute procedures to track
  youth as they age out of foster care.

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Proposal Information on Youth Outcomes

• States will have the option to follow a sample of
  youth who participated in the outcome data
  collection and collect subsequent follow-up
  outcome information (19 and 21 year olds) on the
  sample
• States must use simple random sampling procedures
  and a specific statistical formula for sampling.
• Many States, but not all, will be able to take
  advantage of the sampling option. States with
  very small numbers of 17 year olds in foster care
  will not benefit from sampling.
• States that opt to sample youth for outcomes
  information will report to ACF which youth
  comprise the sample during the year baseline
  information is reported.

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Proposal Information on youths Outcomes

• States will survey youth and report to ACF
  regarding six outcome areas.
• States must develop surveys using questions
  specified by ACF, but we are not proposing to
  regulate the manner in which the State
  administers the survey.
• Therefore, States may employ the survey during
  meetings with an agency caseworker/youth
  specialist, via a contractor, by phone or via the
  internet/e-mail, etc.

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Proposal Information on youths Outcomes
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Proposal Demographic Characteristics of youth
In addition to services/outcomes information,
States will collect demographic and
characteristics information, depending on the
reporting population
Elements for youth reported for either services
or outcomes
State, ID , DOB, Sex Race, Ethnicity Foster
care status
Tribal membership Adjudicated delinquent Last
grade completed Special education
status Independent living assessment
Date of outcome collection, Outcome reporting
status Sample status
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Proposal - NYTD Reporting Schedule
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Proposal NYTD Compliance Standards

• States will have to meet both file submission
  standards and data standards to be in compliance
  with NYTD rules.
• File submission standards include
• Submitting data on time
• Submitting data in a format that meets ACF
  specifications
• Reporting demographic information without errors
• File submission requirements are minimal and must
  be met for us to assess whether the State met the
  data standards.

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Proposal NYTD Compliance Standards

• Data standards relate to quality of the data and
  include
• Error standard - 90 error-free data in most data
  elements (inclusive of services information,
  outcomes and characteristics information).
• Outcomes universe standard States are to
  provide outcome survey results or indicate why
  there are no survey results for all youth
  previously identified in the baseline population
  (i.e., in foster care at age 17).
• Outcomes participation rates States are to
  collect and report outcome information on at
  least 80 of the youth still in foster care and
  60 of the youth who are no longer in foster care
  at the time of the follow-up survey.

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Proposal Correcting Data Penalties

• ACF will assess whether the States data complies
  with the standards and will notify States if it
  does not.
• The State will have an opportunity to submit
  corrected data by the end of the next report
  period.
• Failure to comply with the file submission and
  data standards after the opportunity to correct
  data will result in a penalty.
• The law requires ACF to impose a penalty of
  between 1 and 5 percent of the States annual
  allotment under CFCIP, depending on the degree of
  noncompliance. The NPRM assigns different
  penalty amounts for different areas of
  noncompliance.

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NYTD Penalty Structure
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State Examples of Potential NYTD Penalties
Total Allotment includes the States general
Chafee Foster Care Independence Program allotment
plus their Education Training Vouchers.
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Proposed Rule

• The regulation can be viewed/downloaded at the
  following locations
• Regulations.gov
• www.regulations.gov
• The Childrens Bureau Website
• www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb
• The National Resource Center on Child Welfare
  Data and Technology
• www.nrccwdt.org/
• Comments cannot be submitted via these websites

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Comment Submissions

• Comments must be received (not postmarked/sent)
  on or before September 12, 2006.
• Please only comment via one method
• E-mail to CBcomments_at_acf.hhs.gov
• 2) Via the internet at http//www.regulations.acf
  .hhs.gov
• OR
• 3) Hard copy comments to
• Kathleen McHugh, Director
• Division of Policy/CB/ACYF/ACF
• 1250 Maryland Avenue, SW, 8th floor
• Washington, DC 20024
• It is helpful to us if you identify yourself,
  your role, and the specific sections of the NPRM
  on which you are commenting. It is also helpful
  if you identify the provisions you support and if
  you do not support a provision, why not and any
  preferred alternatives.

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Disclaimer

• This presentation was developed to assist Federal
  staff explain the highlights of the NPRM. The
  NPRM as published in the Federal Register is the
  only official and comprehensive description of
  the proposed National Youth in Transition
  Database (NYTD).
• Any comments provided should be based on a review
  of the NPRM and not on this presentation or any
  other materials.
• Since the NYTD is not final, all proposed
  provisions are subject to change.