The number of children exiting foster care, by each exit reason, during the fiscal year.
How This Is Measured
The total count of children who have exited foster care through court decision during the fiscal year.
An exit occurs when Family Court issues a court order reunifying the child with their biological parent, finalizing a guardianship or adoption, or closing the child welfare case due to the child turning 21 years old. A child who has run away from their foster care placement has not exited from foster care.
Positive permanency includes exits to reunification, guardianship and adoption.
Other exits include emancipation, placement/custody to be provided by another District agency (for example, the juvenile justice system), and death of child.
Why This Matters
It is CFSA’s priority to exit as many children as possible to a permanent home, due to the research demonstrating beneficial outcomes for child well-being and development when positive permanency is achieved.