Target Not Reached

Children Achieving Permanency

- All residents are safe, supported and able to care for themselves
Strategic Priorities
  • Not Defined
    7.3 Decrease the number of youth aging out of foster care without a permanent family
    - All residents are safe, supported and able to care for themselves
About this measure

This measure indicates the number and percent of children achieving permanency within 12 months of entering the child welfare system. Permanency means a child has exited Cuyahoga County's custody and a court has ordered either

  • custody returned to the parents/caregivers,
  • legal custody to another caregiver, or
  • adoption to a licensed home. 

Data are reported by the Cuyahoga County Division of Children and Family Services on a quarterly basis.
Why is this important?

Every child who enters the child welfare system deserves a permanent family. If a child cannot be safely returned to their family Cuyahoga County has a responsibility to find a permanent family that will love, protect, and nurture them. Children who enter the child welfare system have better outcomes when permanency is achieved within 12 months of removal.
How are we making an impact?

Despite a challenging year that included a global pandemic, economic downturn, social isolation, protests for racial justice, election anxiety, Cuyahoga County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) staff continued the critical work of ensuring child safety, well-being and permanency.  Child protection specialists continued to visit with families in their homes, arrange parent child visitations, and attend court hearings to ensure that children did not spend additional time in care.  

The DCFS Outreach Department holds an annual Adopt-a-Family program, Hope for the Holidays campaign, and a partnership with Fox 8 for the Giving Tree project to bring holiday gifts to children in care awaiting permanency.  Due to the pandemic, these events proved to be more challenging, but also as important as ever.  The Adopt-a-Family program went virtual with e-gift cards from donors, our Hope for the Holidays program went semi-virtual with all donating being done through a Target charitable wish list, and the Giving Tree drive was held with some modifications.  Despite these changes the response from the community for all programs was amazing! 
Data Source

Cuyahoga County Division of Children and Family Services

Data table abbreviated due to number of measures.  See attachment full data table.  

In Q4-20, Cuyahoga County began reporting Cuyahoga Performance data by race and ethnicity when available.  The Children Achieving Permanency page has been updated to report the number of percent of children achieving permanency by race.  The disaggregated race data was gathered from the Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System (SACWIS).  The categories were selected based on the U.S Department of Health and Human Services Implementation Guidance on Data Collection Standards for Race.   
Attachments
  • ChildrenAchievingPermanencyDataTable.xlsx
Performance Target

Children Achieving Permanency (Quarterly): 32%
Children Achieving Permanency - Quarterly Performance
Cuyahoga County Children Achieving Permanency (by Quarter)
Bar chart with 4 data series.
Stacked bar chart shows the number of children achieving permanency within 12 months of entering the child welfare system in Cuyahoga County by race by quarter.
The chart has 1 X axis displaying categories.
The chart has 1 Y axis displaying values. Range: 0 to 200.
End of interactive chart.
Children Achieving Permanency % - Quarterly Performance
% of Cuyahoga County Children Achieving Permanency (by Quarter)
Line chart with 4 lines.
Line chart shows the percent of children achieving permanency within 12 months of entering the child welfare system in Cuyahoga County by race by quarter.
The chart has 1 X axis displaying categories.
The chart has 1 Y axis displaying values. Range: 25 to 40.
End of interactive chart.
Children Achieving Permanency - Annual Performance
Cuyahoga County Children Achieving Permanency (by Year)
Bar chart with 4 data series.
Stacked bar chart shows the number of children achieving permanency within 12 months of entering the child welfare system in Cuyahoga County by race by year.
The chart has 1 X axis displaying categories.
The chart has 1 Y axis displaying values. Range: 0 to 750.
End of interactive chart.
Measure Data
Last Calculated 2 days ago
Series Q4-20
Children in County Custody 404
Children in County Custody - Black 274.00
Children in County Custody - White 89.00
Children in County Custody - Two or more races 39.00
Children in County Custody - Other 2.00
Children Achieving Permanency 130
Children Achieving Permanency - YTD 574
Children Achieving Permanency - Black 81.00
Children Achieving Permanency - Black YTD 370.00
Children Achieving Permanency - White 35.00
Children Achieving Permanency - White YTD 154.00
Children Achieving Permanency - Two or more races 13.00
Children Achieving Permanency - 2 or more races YT 53.00
Children Achieving Permanency - Other 1.00
Children Achieving Permanency - Other YTD 1.00
Children Achieving Permanency % - Black 29.56%
Children Achieving Permanency % - White 39.33%
Children Achieving Permanency % - 2 or more races 33.33%
Children Achieving Permanency % - Other 50.00%
Children Achieving Permanency % 32.18%
Children Achieving Permanency % - Target 40.50%