DOI: 10.17604/y25q-ea68
title: Child Placement Administrative Data from Florida Department of Children and Families’ Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System (October 25, 2021)

description: This data set contains a complete snapshot of child placement history data from Florida Department of Children and Families’ Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System as of October 25, 2021. The data set consists of (1) an anonymized unique ID for each child and placement provider, (2) the start and end dates for each child’s placement episode with a provider, (3) administrative information on each provider and placement episode, and (4) demographic and case information for each child. The data set provides a complete administrative account of the placement of history of 310,665 foster children from approximately January 1, 2001, to October 25, 2021. Limited data is also included going back to June 2, 1981.  
description: Data are in the following .csv files:

DCF_placement_history.csv: 45 different fields as received from the Florida Department of Children and Families. The fields are as follows: 
• AFCARS_ID – unique ID for child, assigned by DCF (Foreign key, many to one with child_demographics.csv)
• REMOVAL_DATE – date and time beginning the child’s current removal episode 
• PLACEMENT_BEGIN_DATE – date and time beginning the child’s current placement episode 
• PLACEMENT_END_DATE – date and time ending the child’s current placement episode 
• PLACEMENT_END_REASON – administrative description of reason the placement ended
• PLACEMENT_SETTING – administrative description of the provider for the placement episode 
• SERVICE_CATEGORY – administrative description of the provider for the placement episode 
• SERVICE_TYPE – administrative description of the provider for the placement episode 
• LEAD_AGENCY – name of agency who made the placement
• PROVIDER_NAME_ANONYMIZED – name of the placement provider with individuals’ names redacted to first three letters of first and last name (unredacted available on request)
• PROVIDER_ID – unique ID for provider, assigned by DCF 
• PROVIDER_ZIP – zip code associated with provider
• RELATION_TO_CAREGIVER – description of family relation between child and relative provider
• DISCHARGE_DATE – date and time ending the child’s current removal episode 
• DISCHARGE_REASON – administrative description of reason current removal episode ended 
Administrative flags (Y/N) indicating whether the current removal episode was due to the specified verified maltreatment:
• PHYSICAL_ABUSE
• SEXUAL_ABUSE 
• EMOTIONAL_ABUSE_NEGLECT
• ALCOHOL_ABUSE_CHILD
• DRUG_ABUSE_CHILD
• ALCOHOL_ABUSE_PARENT
• DRUG_ABUSE_PARENT
• PHYSICAL_NEGLECT
• DOMESTIC_VIOLENCE
• INADEQUATE_HOUSING
• CHILD_BEHAVIOR_PROBLEM
• CHILD_DISABILITY
• INCARCERATION_OF_PARENT
• DEATH_OF_PARENT
• CAREGIVER_INABILITY_TO_COPE
• ABANDONMENT
• TRANSITION_TO_INDEPENDENCE
• INADEQUATE_SUPERVISION
• PROSPECTIVE_EMOTIONAL_ABUSE_NEGLECT
• PROSPECTIVE_MEDICAL_NEGLECT
• PROSPECTIVE_PHYSICAL_ABUSE
• PROSPECTIVE_PHYSICAL_NEGLECT
• PROSPECTIVE_SEXUAL_ABUSE
• RELINQUISHMENT
• REQUEST_FOR_SERVICE
• ADOPTION_DISSOLUTION
• MEDICAL_NEGLECT
• CSEC
• LABOR_TRAFFICKING
• SEXUAL_ABUSE_SEXUAL_EXPLOITATION

child_demographics.csv: 16 different fields as received from the Department of Children and Families describing demographic information for each child.  The fields are as follows: 
• AFCARS_ID - unique ID for child, assigned by DCF (Primary key, one to many with DCF_placement_history.csv)
• Citizenship – administrative description of child’s citizenship status
• Gender – administrative description of child’s gender
• DOB – child date of birth (MM/DD/YYYY)
• primary_language – administrative description of child’s primary language 
• indian_tribe – administrative description of child’s membership in Indian tribe
Administrative flags (Y/N) indicating whether the child is described as the following race or ethnicity categories:
• FL_RACE_AMERICAN 
• FL_RACE_ASIAN
• FL_RACE_BLACK
• FL_RACE_DCLND
• FL_RACE_HAWAIIAN
• FL_RACE_UNBL_DTRMN
• FL_RACE_UNKNOWN
• FL_RACE_WHITE
• FL_MULTI_RCL
• Hispanic