National Resource Center for Child Protective Services

Who We Are

The National Resource Center for Child Protective Services (NRCCPS) provides expert consultation, technical assistance, and training in all areas of child protective services (CPS), including intake, assessment, case planning, and ongoing services. The NRCCPS helps to build the capacity of State, local, Tribal, and other publicly administered or supported child welfare agencies to achieve safety, permanency, and well-being for children and families.

The specific focus of the NRCCPS is to assist jurisdictions with system and practice issues that help improve the prevention, reporting, assessment, and treatment of child abuse and neglect.

How We Can Help

The NRCCPS can help to build State, local, and Tribal capacity through the following key activities:

Planning and implementing systemic changes as defined in the States' Program Improvement Plans (PIPs)
Providing technical assistance and consultation directly onsite as well as through state-of-the-art communication and technology-based methods
Developing and delivering of training materials, guidelines, and protocols that increase a jurisdiction's capacity to ensure staff and supervisory competence
Seeking out and disseminating evidence-based practices that will likely contribute to the achievement of PIP strategies and other Federal outcomes
Providing expertise for state-of-the-art practice and decision-making when child maltreatment is accompanied by substance abuse, domestic violence, and mental health issues
Providing expertise on the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA), Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA), and Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) requirements that must be addressed to meet legislated prevention, reporting, investigation, and treatment requirements
Supporting and coordinating communication among and between the State Liaison Officers (SLOs) and the Children's Bureau

Strengthening Programs to Improve Outcomes
The NRCCPS can help States identify and implement program improvement strategies at intake, investigation, assessment, case disposition, and case planning. NRCCPS can assist with designing safety, risk, and family case planning assessments; protective capacity assessments; differential response approaches; citizen review panel development; and family reunification protocols for improved decision-making and outcome achievement.

CAPTA Requirements
NRCCPS is especially equipped to help States address the eligibility requirements for the CAPTA State grant, including the requirements resulting from the 2003 reauthorization of CAPTA.

SLO Support and Communication
The NRCCPS provides support to the SLOs through periodic surveys of their needs, followed by teleconferences to provide training and information, and an SLO newsletter that provides information on CAPTA, ASFA, and ICWA implementation, challenges, and issues. NRCCPS also assists the Children's Bureau in planning an annual SLO conference to further build State capacity.

Collaboration and Coordination
The NRCCPS works as a member of the Children's Bureau Training and Technical Assistance Network. Collaboration includes working on technical assistance, training, and other capacity-building activities in collaboration with other NRCs and AdoptUsKids and participating with the NRC on Organizational Improvement on the evaluation of NRCCPS services.

For More Information

Address:	925 #4 Sixth Street NW Albuquerque, NM 87102
Phone:	505.345.2444
Fax:	505.345.2626
Email:	tcostello@earthlink.net
Website:	http://www.nrccps.org
Contact:	Theresa Costello, Director 505.301.3105 mobile Reed Holder, Coordinator of Communications and Quality Control 303.369.8008

Return to the Children's Bureau Training and Technical Assistance Network