Measure Description
This measure provides a count of the number of children up to 21 years of age with an open case in the foster care system during each month that data is reported.
- Calculation methodology: Data for this measure is tracked within the Child Welfare Services Case Management System (CWS/CMS). The data reflects the number of children in foster care at the end of each month that data is being reported.
- Metric type: Citywide Indicator
- Department: Safety net service caseloads are Citywide indicators of need and utilization of services. These programs and caseload data are administered and tracked by San Francisco's Human Services Agency.
Foster Care Active Caseload
Why this Measure is Important
The Human Services Agency (HSA) aims to help stabilize home situations and return children to their homes. A smaller caseload is one indication of the effectiveness of the agency’s intervention strategies.
Most children in foster care are in the process of reunification with their families. Reunification can take a few weeks to many years.
Data Notes and Sources
This measure provides a count of the number of children up to 21 years of age with an open case in the foster care system during each month that data is reported.
The number displayed on the scorecard page represents a fiscal year average of the values in the chart above.
Data lag time: One month
Visit DataSF to access the scorecard data.
Additional Information
- Learn about UC Berkeley’s California Child Welfare Indicators Project.
- earn more about foster care services and resources on HSA’s website
City Performance Scorecards
This page is part of the City Performance Scorecards.