[TRas]

For the kids that left Texas DFPS care in 2010 (14,182 total kids), outcomes were:

Reunified with parents - 29.0%
Adoption consummated - 33.9%
Placed with relatives - 24.5%
Emancipation/aged out - 10.8%
Other long term substitute care 1.8%

What I found interesting was within the adoption outcomes, the average length in care was:
-- from removal to TPR - 14.1 months (pretty good)
-- TPR to adoptive placement - 15.7 months (ridiculous high)
-- adoptive placement to consummation - 1.8 months (they usually like to do the official adoptive placement paperwork the same month as consummation)

It's crazy that the kids stay (on average) longer in care after TPR than before. I'm sure some of it is a hold up with red tape/paperwork, etc for finalization for the kids that are already in foster/adoptive homes at the time of TPR. But a lot of is just the process of finding an adoptive home match. They should really streamline/speed up the process.

Sadly, the kids that were emancipated/aged out, had an average of 9 placements with an average length in care of 60.2 months

If any of you are interested in the stats, you can read the Annual Report & Data Book. It's long - 275 pages, but there's a lot of info by Region & County.

There's a lot of interesting info in there about number of kids in foster care, number of investigations, CPS worker salaries, how much they are paying out in subsidies, etc.

[preacherjt]

In comparison with other states, there seems to be a cruel balance. In many other states, it takes FOREVER for a child to be TPR'd, but time between TPR and adoptive placement is very speedy.

Thanks for the stats. I'm a statistic enthusiast myself, so I enjoyed reading them. Of course, I'm not shocked by any of them, but still dismayed.

In defense of the state of Texas, I understand why it would be difficult to streamline the process. We do want the state to be careful in selecting good homes for - let's face it - children who can be very difficult to love. Still, there are counties that seem to sit on files with virtually no movement for years sometimes. The 15.7 month average only as low as it is, because there are those few counties that do give adoptive placement a high priority and they get the kids matched within 2-3 months of TPR.

At the end of the day, it is about how the funds get allocated. Does a county build a beefy foster care unit with a relatively meek adoptive placement unit, or do they flip that? There not easy choices.

[TRas]

The stats also made me be thankful for our situation with our three (all legal risk/foster to adopt placements).

AD#1 was in care a little less than a year before TPR, then TPR to finalization was only 92 days.

AD#2 was in care 9 months before TPR, then TPR to finalization was five months. And it could have been three months, but we held it up because we were trying to wait for my son's case to be ready.

AS was in care a year before TPR, then TPR to finalization took seven months. It took that long because a couple months after TPR it came to light that he had no name or social security number, and the number CPS had been using belonged to another child. Straightening out that mess and getting everything issued took three months.

So all in all, I feel lucky at the speed of the process.

[kroos2006]

TRas - thanks so much for the info. You have given me some hope again. We have just finished our pride and post pride meetings and we are waiting on a couple of replies and to start our home study. We are trying the legal risk ank I have heard some horror stories so I am glad to read something ith happy endings!

[SmilingTexan]

A shocking stat that my private agency caseworker mentioned a couple of weeks ago: ~80% of reunified kids end up back in the system. I don't know if that is just for our county, my agency, or statewide (TX) but it blew my mind.

[wannababy4]

Thanks for the link! Very informative! Very sad as well to see those numbers and realize how many children are hurting and going through so much in their little lives.

[jamG]

Thanks for sharing!!!