Georgia's data does not distinguish between children entering care who remained in care for placement services and those children who were been returned to their families within a few hours or prior to a 72-hour (show cause) hearing. Therefore, the numbers reported as children entering care are misleading. Georgia cannot at this time determine how many of these children remained in placement and how many were returned to their home prior to a 72-hour hearing. Since Georgia no longer separates indicated (unconfirmed) reports from unfounded cases (1977 was the last year this separation), percentages for 1998 (21.3%) and 1999 (18.6%) are based only on substantiations for duplicated children. The 1997 percentage of 9.2% is based on a combination of the substantiated and indicated children. It is unlikely that children with indicated designations would become part of the state's population of children in placement.

Georgia is quickly moving to make more preventive services available throughout the state. These preventive and early intervention services are discussed in state CPS policy for consideration at all stages of contact with a family. Georgia does not yet have data that can measure the effectiveness of these efforts.