45 CFR § 1355.43 - Data reporting requirements.

---
identifier: "/us/cfr/t45/s1355.43"
source: "ecfr"
legal_status: "authoritative_unofficial"
title: "45 CFR § 1355.43 - Data reporting requirements."
title_number: 45
title_name: "Public Welfare"
section_number: "1355.43"
section_name: "Data reporting requirements."
chapter_name: "ADMINISTRATION FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES"
subchapter_number: "G"
subchapter_name: "THE ADMINISTRATION ON CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILIES, FOSTER CARE MAINTENANCE PAYMENTS, ADOPTION ASSISTANCE, AND CHILD AND FAMILY SERVICES"
part_number: "1355"
part_name: "GENERAL"
positive_law: false
currency: "2026-03-24"
last_updated: "2026-03-24"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
authority: "42 U.S.C. 620  42 U.S.C. 670  42 U.S.C. 1302."
cfr_part: "1355"
---


# 1355.43 Data reporting requirements.

(a) *Report periods and deadlines.* There are two six-month report periods based on the Federal fiscal year: October 1 to March 31 and April 1 to September 30. The title IV-E agency must submit the out-of-home care and adoption assistance data files to ACF within 45 days of the end of the report period (*i.e.,* by May 15 and November 14). If the reporting deadline falls on a weekend, the title IV-E agency has through the end of the following Monday to submit the data file.

(b) *Out-of-home care data file.* A title IV-E agency must report the information required in § 1355.44 pertaining to each child in the out-of-home care reporting population, in accordance with the following:

(1) The title IV-E agency must report the most recent information for the applicable data elements in § 1355.44(a), (b), and (c).

(2) The title IV-E agency must report the most recent information and all historical information for the applicable data elements in § 1355.44(d) through (i).

(3) For state title IV-E agencies only, regarding only the ICWA-related data elements in § 1355.44(b)(3) through (6) and (i): For a child who entered the out-of-home care reporting population as defined in § 1355.42(a) prior to October 1, 2028 and exits the out-of-home care reporting population on or after October 1, 2028, the state title IV-E agency must report information for the data described in § 1355.44(b)(4)(i) and (ii) and (6)(i) only.

(c) *Adoption and guardianship assistance data file.* A title IV-E agency must report the most recent information for the applicable data elements in § 1355.45 that pertains to each child in the adoption and guardianship assistance reporting population on the last day of the report period.

(d) *Missing information.* If the title IV-E agency fails to collect the information for a data element, the title IV-E agency must report the element as blank or otherwise missing. The title IV-E agency is not permitted to default or map missing information that was not collected to a valid response option.

(e) *Electronic submission.* The title IV-E agency must submit the required data files electronically and in a format according to ACF's specifications.

(f) *Record retention.* The title IV-E agency must retain all records necessary to comply with the data requirements in §§ 1355.41 through 1355.45. The title IV-E agency's retention of such records is not limited to the requirements of 45 CFR 92.42(b) and (c).

[81 FR 90569, Dec. 14, 2016, as amended at 85 FR 28424, May 12, 2020; 89 FR 96588, Dec. 5, 2024]