All of the data on this website come from the University of California, Berkeley quarterly extracts from CWS/CMS. Those extracts are pulled approximately one month after each quarter ends, and the data are fully refreshed each quarter. Due to the time it takes to process, run, validate, and approve the data each quarter, data on the website and on the California CWS Outcomes System report are typically in the range of three to six months old.
The refresh schedule is:| Extract Name | Data cutoff | Website refreshed by |
|---|---|---|
| Quarter 1 | Mar 31 | Jul 1 |
| Quarter 2 | Jun 30 | Oct 1 |
| Quarter 3 | Sep 30 | Jan 1 (following year) |
| Quarter 4 | Dec 31 | Apr 1 (following year) |
For the general foster care data areas (Entries, Point in Time, Exits), we include children in non-dependent guardian placements. When we try to replicate the methodology used in the 7 federal performance measures, we use a slightly different source file that we have created, which mirrors the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) file. Children in non-dependent guardian placements are excluded. In addition, episodes that transition from child welfare to probation or probation to child welfare on the same day are bridged into a single episode. The federal and state measure views of the CFSR3 measures contain only children under the age of 18. In both files, consistent with AFCARS reporting, we have excluded episodes of zero or one day.
We have also excluded placements when the case open during the placement has an Intervention Reason Type of "Incoming ICPC Request" (Code 1226).
[ICPC = Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children.]
Data are reported as entered in the CWS/CMS System, which allows for county level data cleanup to be reflected in the quarterly updates.