Set of Indicators
Children in Alternative Care and Adoption
Indicator 8. Proportion of children with disabilities who left formal residential care during the year
How the indicator is calculated and what data countries need to provide
The indicator is calculated by dividing the total number of children with disabilities who left formal residential care settings during the reference year by the total number of children who left formal residential care settings during the reference year.
- p = Total number of children with disabilities who left formal residential care during the year / Total number of children who left formal residential care during the year
What data countries should collect to calculate the indicator:
- Total number of children with disabilities who left formal residential care settings during the reference year
- Total number of children who left formal residential care settings during the reference year
How to measure and data sources
This indicator requires that data is available from a completed 12-month period.
The coverage should include all residential care settings in which children aged 0-17 with disabilities are living and are receiving some care. Ideally, the competent national authorities will carry out a census and map all formal residential care settings at national and subnational level in regular intervals. The data are best collected in-country from the registers of the residential care settings themselves and/or from the competent authorities overseeing the care of children in these settings and/or aftercare and/or from the organisations operating the facilities. In order to calculate the total number of children with disabilities who left these residential care settings during the year, the competent authorities and/or the facilities and/or the facility operators must register the disability status of children who are placed in formal residential care settings and must register all children who leave during the year. All this information needs to be retained for up to 12 months to ensure that it is available at the time of the agreed collection date. Ideally, the same or similar data collection templates should be used by all data providers, as it eases aggregation of data and measurement of this indicator. Information should be collated at one central point to avoid duplication.
Statistical unit Person (the child), exits
Reference period Annually, following completion of the specified time frame
Disaggregation Sex, age[1] (0-2, 3–6, 7–17 years)
Analysis and interpretation
This indicator measures the annual outflow of children with disabilities who are in the formal residential care system. The indicator helps countries to explore whether they need to increase their family reunification efforts. Deinstitutionalization reforms across the region aim to reunite children with their families, if possible, and otherwise to place them into family-based care or facilitate domestic adoption. Other reasons for children leaving residential care must also be tracked, such as children becoming too old to remain in the system and starting independent life or a child’s death. This indicator, when set against entry data and the stock data, offers a useful insight into the throughput of children with disabilities in formal residential care and the length of time they spend there. The data are also useful for planning and budgeting of community-based support services based on existing and expected numbers of children with disabilities leaving residential care and returning to the community.
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Reference:
[1] Age at time of exit.