Venti said DYFS' own internal numbers showed children were spending less time in foster care on average, dropping from 17.5 months in 1998 to 16.5 months this July. Using the federal data, the Press reported that the median time in state care rose from 16.6 months in 1997 to 19.6 months in March 2000. Even by using averages, the Press found that the federal data showed that time in foster care rose from 29.6 months in 1998 to 31.4 months this year. A median is a midpoint in the data. It means half the children this year spent 19.6 months or more in foster care and half spent less.
Statistical experts consider median a more accurate indicator of performance in many instances.
Averages, used by DYFS, are the sum of all the months in care divided by the number of children in foster care. Averages can be strongly affected by extreme cases, such as a child spending 18 years or 18 hours in foster care. Medians are less affected by extremes. DYFS has had a statistical report on its performance completed by Fred Wulczyn, of the Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago, considered one of the country's top experts in analyzing child protection systems. Williams said the agency would not release the report, contending it is not a public record.