|
Children's Services |
|
Children's Services |
The
Children's Services Unit offers legally mandated
programs to children and families, provided without regard
to income. These services for maltreated children (abused,
neglected, and/or dependent) and those at risk of maltreatment
are aimed at strengthening family life, assuring for each child
a safe and nurturing home. Generally, these services are
preventative, rehabilitative, and non-punitive, with efforts
toward identifying and treating the causes of the maltreating
behavior. This is accomplished through parent/caretaker
cooperation and consent, or, in the event conditions pose serious
issues for the child's safety, the agency's petition to the
court.
Services
Provided
Screening is the action of receiving reports through the process of gathering information from the reporter, then determining what further action is required.
If a report meets the statutory requirements necessary, the case is assigned to a child protective services social worker as either an Investigation or Family Assessment in order to ascertain the facts of the case and the risk of harm to the child. The choice of two approaches to reports of child abuse, neglect or dependency protects the safety of the children by not treating all reports in the same way, and missing some clear need for immediate action; engaging families in services that could enable them to better parent their children; focusing on the family's strengths, supports and motivation to change; and serving many of the families reported to Child Protective Services by helping rather than punishing them. All reports of abuse or serious neglect are taken as investigative assessments; all others are done as family assessments.
In Home Family Services are legally mandated and are provided to families who have had a Substantiation of abuse, neglect, dependency or a finding of Services Needed. The purpose of CPS In Home Services is to maintain the safety of the child while helping the parent/caretaker to learn more effective parenting practices. Interventions focus on accessing the family's immediate and extended community through needs assessment, resource identification and service delivery. The use of family centered practice develops strengths, enhances potential and empowers families to identify and resolve their own problems. The intent is to allow the child to safely remain in the home.
In some families the child's safety can not be guaranteed and the child must be removed from the home. Foster care is intended to be time limited and goal oriented. It is a plan to provide for a child until he can be reunited with his/her family or provided with an alternate permanent living situation.
Adoption is the permanent plan offering the most stability to a child that can not return to his/her parent(s). Adoption by relatives must be considered as an option in order to preserve the child's sense of identity and family history. Adoption by the foster parent may be appropriate if the child has developed a close relationship with the foster family. If neither of the options is available, individuals that have completed a home study and specialized training may be considered.
A child may remain in foster care until age eighteen only under special circumstances. It may be that the child comes into care at an age that adoption is not seen as an option. These children may not wish to be adopted but would rather remain in the care of the agency and receive training in living independently. Life skills are taught to help the child adjust to adulthood.
These voluntary services are offered to families in support of attempts to prevent abuse or neglect from occurring and for families that need assistance in coping with specific problems such as alcoholism and substance abuse, emotional disturbance and psychological problems. The agency in this case acts as an advocate for the client in securing the services needed.
