Foster Care and Placement Stability (July 2022)

The Utah Division of Child and Family Services (DCFS) is responsible for managing child and family welfare programs and services throughout the state of Utah. As the state's child welfare agency, DCFS establishes practice standards for programs and services administered by DCFS and contract providers, coordinates the delivery of these services, collaborates with state legislators, and implements and coordinates child welfare programs utilizing both state and federal funds. When a child cannot safely remain in their home, DCFS provides short-term foster care, with case activities designed to prepare for the child's return to their original parents or caregivers if safely possible. It is in the best interest for a child in foster care to be placed with a relative whenever safely possible. When reunification is not an appropriate goal, or if reunification is not successful, then adoption with a safe nurturing family, preferably a relative, is pursued as the best alternative to reunification. In some cases that safe, nurturing family will be given permanent custody or guardianship. Individualized permanency, or preparing the child to live on their own, is pursued only when all other alternatives have been exhausted. This report examines trends in Utah foster care provided by DCFS, with timeframes for each measure selected where comparable and relevant data exists. It examines the number of children in care over time, as well as the number of children entering foster care according to multiple demographics (assigned sex, race and ethnicity, and age when entering care). Introductory placement settings for foster care are examined, as well as foster duration, foster re-entries, and placement stability within foster care. Where feasible, census population figures are incorporated so that these figures can be understood as a rate compared to the representation of that youth group within the state. Census data reflectpopulation estimates for July 1 of each year, and have been