Definition: This measure is a percent, and is reported by fiscal year. The denominator includes all children reunified during the report period who had been in out-of-home care eight days or longer where the child's primary worker was an agent of the provider. The numerator is a subset of children in the denominator whose discharge date is less than twelve months from the removal date of the removal episode.

Source: Department of Children and Families, Community-Based Care Scorecard

2025 Target: 74.8%

Below is a comparison of the value for this indicator among seven coastal counties: Charlotte, Sarasota, Collier, Lee, Manatee, Hillsborough, and Pinellas. These counties have been recommended as comparable counties by Sarasota County Government.

Percent of Children Placed in Permanent Homes Within 12 months of Removal (FY 2015-2016)

In FY 2015-2016, 49.8% of Sarasota County children in out-of-home care who were reunified into permanent homes, had a discharge date that was less than twelve months from their removal date. One of the main goals of the Department of Children and Families is to ensure that children removed from their homes due to maltreatment are placed in a permanent home as soon as possible. This means that they are either reunified with their family, placed in permanent guardianship, or adopted. This is called permanency. Between 2008 and 2015, the permanency rate within 12 months of removal increased 22% in Sarasota County, but decreased by 30% between 2015 and 2016. Sarasota County’s permanency rate within 12 months of removal is 6.8% higher than Florida’s.

Children placed in permanent homes within 12 months of removal are most likely reunified with their families, as that is the first priority of the Department of Children and Families. Permanent guardianship and adoption are pursued only if the family is unable to complete a case plan given to them by the court. Successful execution of the case plan is needed for children to be reunified. The child will also not be reunified if the Department of Children and Families succeeds in articulating a safety concern to the court. According to subject matter experts, major barriers to the execution of the case plan include: substance abuse, mental illness, and the lack of housing and transportation.