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The focus of CPS is
on protecting the
child from harm or
risk of harm and to
make it safe for the
child to live with
the parent or
caretaker. The CPS
worker assesses
family functioning
and identifies
strengths and risks
in the home. As part
of the assessment to
ensure that the home
is safe for the
child(ren), the CPS
worker and family
will develop a plan
to address any
problems that have
been identified.
CPS agencies respond
to reports of abuse
or neglect of
children under the
age of eighteen.
Abuse or neglect
complaints are
defined in statute,
and include mental
injury, physical
injury, sexual abuse
and exploitation,
negligent treatment
or maltreatment, and
excessive corporal
punishment.
Referrals are also
made to
community-based
services to assist
families to prevent
their entry into the
child welfare
system. Clark County
Department of Family
Services receives
fifty percent of the
referrals to CPS
agencies, thirty-two
percent are received
by Washoe County
Department of Social
Services and the
balance are received
by DCFS agencies. |
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Intake is the first
stage of the child
protective services
(CPS) process and is
one of the most
important
decision-making
points in the child
protection system.
It is the point at
which reports of
suspected child
abuse and neglect
are received.
Information gathered
by caseworkers is
used to make
decisions regarding
safety (e.g., Is the
child at risk of
imminent harm?),
risk (e.g., What is
the likelihood that
maltreatment will
occur sometime in
the future?), and
the type of CPS
response required.
At intake,
caseworkers also
perform a critical
public relations
function by
responding
professionally and
sensitively to the
concerns raised by
community
professionals and
citizens, and by
clarifying the role
of the agency
regarding referrals
of suspected abuse
or neglect.
Referrals are
accepted from all
sources, and each
report is treated as
a potential case of
child maltreatment.
Upon receiving a
referral, the intake
worker attempts to
gather as much
information as
possible about each
family member, the
family as a whole,
and the nature,
extent, severity,
and chronicity of
the alleged child
maltreatment. Once
the initial intake
information is
collected, the
caseworker conducts
a check of agency
records and the
Central Registry to
determine any past
reports or contact
with the family.
Then the caseworkers
must collect and
analyze the
information and
determine if it
meets the criteria
outlined in Statute
regarding the
definition of child
abuse and neglect
and the requirements
for response. CPS
prioritizes the
investigation
response time based
on a number of
factors including
the nature of the
allegations and the
age of the child.
The response times
are immediate,
within twenty-four
hours, forty-eight
hours, seventy-two
hours, or ten days.
The average response
time for CPS
agencies in Nevada
is at the 90th
percentile level.
Upon completion of
the investigation of
a report of abuse or
neglect, a
determination of the
case findings are
made based on
whether there is
reasonable cause to
believe that a child
is abused or
neglected or
threatened with
abuse or neglect.
The findings are
classified as
“Substantiated,”
meaning that a
report made pursuant
to NRS 432B.220 was
investigated and
that credible
evidence of the
abuse or neglect
exists.
“Unsubstantiated”
means that a report
made pursuant to NRS
432B.220 was
investigated and
that no credible
evidence of the
abuse or neglect
exists. The type of
abuse categories
include: neglect,
medical neglect,
physical abuse,
emotional abuse or
neglect, and sexual
abuse.
Of the substantiated
reports received,
re-abuse in the form
of another
substantiated report
will occur in some
cases. Repeat
maltreatment occurs
when interventions
with the family have
not been successful
in preventing
subsequent
victimization. The
standard for
recurrence of
maltreatment has
been established by
the Federal
Children’s Bureau.
The standard states
that for all
children who were
victims of
substantiated child
abuse and/or neglect
during the first six
months of the year,
that 6.1% or fewer
should have another
report within six
months. Nevada’s
rate was at 7.6%
during calendar year
2003.
Over the past 10
years, promising,
community-based
child protection
initiatives have
been implemented
that broadened the
base of
responsibility for
supporting families
and protecting
children. Initially,
model programs
evolved from
targeting
intervention
activities in
high-risk
neighborhoods and
rebuilding a sense
of community toward
empowering
individual families
by teaching and
mentoring, building
on strengths, and
respecting cultural
diversity. More
recent child welfare
reforms have focused
on a more flexible
and differential
response for
investigating
reports of child
abuse and neglect,
including the
diversion of low and
moderate-risk
families to
community-based
services. Nevada was
one of the first
States to support
the flexible
response to
community-based
services. |
