That is, it can be difficult and time consuming to accurately record and assemble the results. A few courts have used computer assisted techniques to help. On the other hand, in a few small or medium size states, statewide telephone interviews might be practical. Data Another important source of information for the assessments is statistics that are already available. An example of information to be used might be the numbers of neglect and abuse cases filed in the last several years.
Some states have statistics on certain aspects of case timeliness.
Other important statistics might be children's average length of stay in foster care and the average number of foster placements per child. Agencies might also be asked to assemble data, for example, on the average length of time that caseworkers must wait for hearings to begin. In many courts, information is available concerning how many abuse and neglect petitions are filed per year. If it is possible to calculate the total costs of handling abuse, neglect, and termination cases in each judicial district, this figure can be divided by the number of cases. The resulting figure is the average judicial cost per case.