Determine day-to-day functioning across critical life domains and whether functioning improves over time

Overview
The PECFAS® was developed from the CAFAS® and can be used for children as young as 3 years old and up to 7 years of age.

Determines day-to-day functioning across critical life domains
Determines whether functioning improves over time
Overlaps in age with the CAFAS to accommodate children who function more immaturely than their chronological age would suggest

Key areas measured
Youth:

School/Preschool/Daycare
Home
Community
Behaviour Towards Others
Moods
Self-harm
Substance Use
Rational Thinking/Communication

Caregiver:

Material Needs
Social Support

How to use
For each subscale, the rater reads through the items at each level, starting at the Severe level, until they find a description of the child. Once a description has been found, the child is assigned the item’s corresponding score for the subscale. After assigning the subscale score, the rater moves on to the next subscale.
Reliability and validity
The PECFAS is objective, has face validity, and is sensitive to client change. It contains a comprehensive list of behavioural descriptors for presenting problems of young children. The PECFAS has been used with a variety of children referred for mental health services who varied in the type and severity of their problems. It has also been used by educational programs, social services, and child welfare agencies.