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Outcome Data
Outcome data is the way we track how we are making a real impact in the lives of the kids and families we serve. Currently this section includes information about finalized adoptions and children who still need forever families, the number of kids in kinship legal guardianship arrangements, and data focused on the experience of children when they are placed out of their homes. Finalized AdoptionsLegally Free Children Awaiting Adoption About Adoption in NJ Permanency for Kids: Subsidized Adoption Placements and Kinship Legal Guardianship Outcome Data and Chapin Hall DCF has set a new state record for the most foster children ever adopted in a year. DCF achieved adoption for 1,540 foster children in 2007, far exceeding its court-ordered commitment of 1,400 adoptions as part of the child welfare lawsuit settlement, and surpassing the previous state record of 1,418 adoptions in 2004.  Click on the chart for larger, printable verion (pdf)
Legally Free Children Awaiting Adoption Reunification between a child and his/her parents is the primary goal for every child in protective care under DCF's Division of Youth and Family Service (DYFS). DCF provides services such as reunification counseling, addiction treatment, and flex funds (monies for utilities, rent, medical co-pays, etc) to help promote reunification. If reunification is not possible, the parental rights will be terminated by the courts, and the child then becomes legally free for adoption.The number of children whose parents’ rights were terminated and who are legally free to be adopted has also decreased to a historic low of 1,295 children – a 44 percent decrease from January 2006. Historically, there are approximately 1,200 children who become legally free for adoption each year in New Jersey.  Click on the chart for larger, printable verion (pdf)
DCF also invested in additional resources to achieve adoption targets, such as deploying additional staff as adoption workers to create and achieve caseload standards of 15-18 children per worker and creating specialized teams of adoption experts to reduce the significant backlog. At the beginning of the Corzine Administration in 2006, the number of finalized adoptions had fallen more than 14 percent from 2004 to 2005, and a record backlog of 2,300 children were legally free and waiting to be adopted. Since that time, DCF has achieved significant progress with nearly 3,000 former foster children adopted since Governor Corzine took office. For the first time since the data has been tracked, these same two years witnessed a consistent decrease in the backlog of children waiting to be adopted.
Permanency for Kids: Subsidized Adoption Placements and Kinship Legal Guardianship About Subsidized Adoption:The New Jersey Subsidized Adoption Program offers financial assistance to prospective adoptive parents who adopt certain children. About 98% of children adopted through the DCF Division of Youth and Family Services receive adoption subsidy. These children are older, have disabilities or are of an ethnic group for which adoptive homes are not readily available. About Kinship Legal Guardianship (KLG): KLG is New Jersey's newest permanency option. It allows for children to be placed permanently with their extended family without the need for termination of parental rights (TPR) or adoption. This guardian "…has the same rights, responsibilities and authority relating to a child as a birth parent, with the exception of consenting to the adoption of the child or a name change for the child, while the birth parent retains the obligation to pay child support and the right to court-approved visitation or parenting time with the child." For more details regarding KLG, please go to www.judiciary.state.nj.us/legis/2005c95.pdf. For the first time in New Jersey there is a larger investment in permanency for children than in temporary placement.  Click on the chart for larger, printable verion (pdf)  Click on the chart for larger, printable verion (pdf)  Click on the chart for larger, printable verion (pdf) CLICK HERE FOR ADOPTION SUBSIDY AND KLG RAW DATA BY MONTH (Jan06-Jul07)
Number of Children Entering DYFS Placement  Click on chart for larger, printable version (pdf) Median Length of Stay in DYFS Placement  Click on chart for larger, printable version (pdf) Children Placed with Relatives  Click on chart for larger, printable version (pdf) Children Experiencing Multiple Placements  Click on chart for larger, printable version (pdf) Chapin Hall: Children Exiting and Re-Entering DYFS Care in 12 months  Click on chart for larger, printable version (pdf) Children Entering and Exiting Out-of-Home Placement  Click on chart for larger, printable version (pdf) Chapin Hall: Children Placed within 10 miles of Own Home  Click on the chart for larger, printable verion (pdf) Chapin Hall: Sibling Groups Placed Together  Click on the chart for larger, printable verion (pdf) Chapin Hall: Children Exiting DYFS Care and Remaining at Home  Click on the chart for larger, printable verion (pdf) Chapin Hall: DYFS Youth Discharged within 12 Months  Click the chart for larger, printable version (pdf) Children Adopted within 24 Months of Placement (2001-2005)  Click on the chart for larger, printable verion (pdf)
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