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Methodology
Entries to Foster Care

These reports are derived from a longitudinal database and provide information on all entries to out-of-home care during the time period specified.

Notes on Source Data

IMPORTANT NOTE: The following methodology may include references to report features not available on the public site version. On the public site, masking is performed to protect the privacy of individuals served by CDSS and comply with CDSS data de-identification guidelines. Values of 1 to 10 and calculations based on values of 1 to 10 are masked ('M' or '*'). In stratified views of the data, additional values (the lowest available) are masked to prevent calculation of values 1 to 10.

As of Quarter 3, 2021, following the addition of runaway status to CWS/CMS, we modified our foster care placement data to more accurately identify runaway status. Across reports, this has caused shifts versus earlier extracts in placement type distributions, particularly reductions in Group Care and increases in the Runaway and Other categories. Changes are most notable in earlier time periods, in probation-supervised care, and when predominant placement type is selected.
For details regarding the determination of placement type, please see: Placement Type Methodology (Opens in new window)

A selection of "First Entries" or "All Children Entering" for the "Episode Count" variable will produce frequency counts of unduplicated children. With the "All Children Entering" option, data are unduplicated separately for the state and for each county. As a result, the sum of counties may not equal the statewide total. In addition, a selection of two or more grouped counties may produce a slight overcount: children entering more than one county during the year are counted for each county they enter. An individual selection (California or any individual county) produces a true unduplicated count. If "All Entry" or "Other Entry" is selected, reported frequencies will be at the entry-event rather than child-specific level (i.e., multiple entries by the same child during a specified time period will be counted).

County is assigned in this analysis using the county specific code from the case assignment table active at the placement episode start date during the specified time period. Age is calculated at the placement episode start date during the specified time period. Placement type refers to the facility where a child was initially placed at the placement episode start date during the specified time period. Caregiver relationship refers to the value of the substitute care provider relationship to child variable at the placement episode start date during the specified time period.

Note: To allow follow-up time in which to determine predominant placement type, the most recent entry cohort presented in the CWS Outcomes is one year prior to the most recent available. The four most recent cohorts, stratified by predominant placement, are available via the 'Entries to Foster Care' drill-down reports.

Cells containing a period (".") represent a value of zero. In cells representing quotients, a period may also indicate the indeterminate form 0/0.

These reports may also be run with filters in place to restrict the data to various subgroups of other variables (e.g., Black subgroup of the Ethnic variable, Less than 1 month old subgroup of the Age variable, etc.).


Age Group

Ethnic Group

Census-based Ethnicity Coding

Sex at Birth

First Placement Type

Removal Reason

Caregiver Relationship

Agency Type

Days in Care

Episode Count