FOIL: Live Birth Data, Survival Ratio, Abnormal Vital Statistics (Albany County Department Of Health)

To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the New York Freedom of Information Law, I hereby request the following records:

Pursuant to the New York Freedom of Information Law and the obligations of county health departments under the New York State Local Government Records Retention and Disposition Schedule (LGS-1) for birth and death records, I hereby request the following records:

Live Birth Data including constant birth rate, long term, short term, and average birth rates for within the county or school district subdivisions for the current (2022/23) and previous six years by year.

Birth to Kindergarten Survival Ratio for the county or school district subdivisions used for the past ten years by year.

All communications to or from school districts, NYS Education Department, NYS Bureau of Vital Statistics, or NYS Department of Health containing these statistical tabulations and data, and any communications regarding requests for this data, responses from the county health department to these parties regarding live birth data and/or any abnormal vital statistics observations since November 2019.

I request that the records be provided in electronic format, either by email attachment or on a CD-ROM.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this request, please do not hesitate to contact me. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 5 business days, as the statute requires.

The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.

In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 5 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Jackson Parker

Thank you for your response to my Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) request dated 3/13/2023, in which I requested live birth data, birth to kindergarten survival ratio, and related communications to or from various entities. I appreciate your prompt reply, however, I respectfully request that your agency conduct a diligent search for the requested records.

While I understand that birth records are typically handled by the vital statistics department and that NYS agencies may also have relevant information, I believe that the Albany County Department of Health may also possess some of the records I requested, as they are related to public health and are required by law to be maintained by local health departments under the New York State Local Government Records Retention and Disposition Schedule (LGS-1) for birth and death records.

Therefore, I kindly request that you perform a diligent search of your records and those of your relevant offices, officials, and employees, including but not limited to those who handle birth and death records, statistics, and communications. Specifically, please search for the following:

Live Birth Data including constant birth rate, long term, short term, and average birth rates for within the county or school district subdivisions for the current (2022/23) and previous six years by year.
Birth to Kindergarten Survival Ratio for the county or school district subdivisions used for the past ten years by year.
All communications to or from school districts, NYS Education Department, NYS Bureau of Vital Statistics, or NYS Department of Health containing these statistical tabulations and data, and any communications regarding requests for this data, responses from the county health department to these parties regarding live birth data and/or any abnormal vital statistics observations since November 2019.
Please provide me with a certification pursuant to New York State Public Officers Law § 89(3)(a) stating that a diligent search has been conducted and whether the requested records have been located or are unavailable. If any part of my request is denied, please provide a written explanation for the denial, including a reference to the specific statutory exemption(s) upon which you rely.

I would also appreciate if you could inform me of any fees associated with fulfilling my request, as well as the estimated time frame for providing the requested records.

Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to your response within the five business days required by law.