RE: termination of parental rights

[Marian Bussey <Marian@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

You can calculate the number of children in foster care whose parental
rights have been terminated using the AFCARS databases.  I'm working with
that data right now and just ran those frequencies. In FFY1998, in the
combined 39 states plus D.C. and Puerto Rico reporting, 10.3% of children
were legally free for adoption (either both parents' rights terminated, or
one parent terminated and one parent died, or both parents died).
The reported range within states is from 0% (Delaware and Florida - not
possible to tell if they don't report this data) to 31.8% (Texas).  See
attached table.


This may not meet your needs, because it is point-in-time data. But you
could also calculate the child's age at termination, the time to termination
from entry into foster care, etc. Hope this helps,



Marian Bussey






-----Original Message-----
From: Joseph. A. Vorrasi [mailto:jav9@cornell.edu]
Sent: Tuesday, June 13, 2000 10:01 AM
To: Child Maltreatment Researchers
Subject: termination of parental rights


Can anyone direct me to a source that documents the national prevalence of
terminated parental rights?  This information is not in the annual CDF
Yearbook, and countless on-line searches and library queries have been
fruitless.  Thanks very much.

Joseph Vorrasi
jav9@cornell.edu


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