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Kimberly Desmond
Program Supervisor
Alabama Department of Human Resources
50 N. Ripley Street
Montgomery, Alabama 36104
334-353-7983
334-242-0939 Fax
kdesmond@dhr.state.al.us
Data File(s) Submitted
Child File, Agency File
Level of Evidence Required
Preponderance
Reports
The estimate of child protective services (CPS) workers is based on current, filled CPS agency positions and the caseload standards set for CPS functions. The response time of the CPS workforce is calculated in days after the initial 12 hours. In serious harm reports, the response time is immediate, but no later than 12 hours. In all other reports, victims must be seen within 5 calendar days. If information received at intake does not rise to the level of child abuse or neglect, the report is screened out. The concerns expressed must meet the child abuse or neglect definitions, as defined in State policy.
Perpetrators
State law does not allow a person younger than 14 years to be identified as a perpetrator.
Services
Due to an ongoing conversion of the State Automated Child Welfare Information System (SACWIS), data are not available for children who were removed from the home. The State is not able to collect data by individual funding source for children or families due to multiple sources being combined.
Matthew Roseberry
Research Analyst III
Office of Children's Services
Alaska Department of Health and Social Services
130 Seward Street, Room 406
Juneau, AK 99811
907-465-3191
907-465-3397 Fax
matt_roseberry@health.state.ak.us
Data File(s) Submitted
Child File, Agency File
Level of Evidence Required
Reasonable
Reports
This is the State's first Child File data submission and the first submission from its Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System (SACWIS). Data submitted for prior years from the State's legacy system are not comparable to data from the SACWIS.
The number of investigations in Federal fiscal year (FFY) 2005 is 60 percent fewer than reported in FFY 2003, which is due in part to the system change. First, the State's legacy system was child based. It recorded one investigation for each alleged child victim in each investigated report. The SACWIS system records one investigation per case for each investigation conducted. One investigation may cover one or more alleged victims from one or more reports.
The method used to extract the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS) file from the SACWIS system captures only those investigations with complete documentation entered into our system by the last day of the reporting period. The legacy system captured investigations entered up to the date the NCANDS file was extracted.
Investigations of reports received prior to July 1, 2004 were to be documented in the legacy system. By excluding investigations of reports received prior to July 2004 that were completed during FFY 2005, the number of investigations completed in FFY 2005 may be understated compared to prior years.
The start date of the investigation is based on the date entered for specified types of case notes. Both the date and the time (to the minute) can be entered.
For FFY 2005, report sources are not recorded in the Child File. Future reporting in this area is planned.
Children
As of June 1, 2004, the State's disposition categories changed from "substantiated," "unconfirmed," "invalid," and "can't locate" to "substantiated," "not substantiated," and "closed with no finding." Prior to the change, children with a finding of "unconfirmed" were counted as victims with an NCANDS disposition of indicated. After the change, only children with a "substantiated" disposition are included in the victim count.
Differential responses are not included in the Child File because while the differential responses include a family assessment, no determinations of victimization are made. Data on prior victims are based on data resulting from protective services reports received after June 2004.
Fatalities
All fatalities are reported in the Agency File.
Services
For FFY 2005, data in the areas of services and child and caregiver risk factors are not reported in the Child File. More complete reporting in this area is planned for the future.
Nicholas Espadas
Manager
Evaluation and Statistics Unit
Division of Children, Youth and Families
Arizona Department of Economic Security
1789 West Jefferson
Phoenix, AZ 85005
602-542-3969
602-542-3330 Fax
nespadas@azdes.gov
Data File(s) Submitted
Child File, Agency File
Level of Evidence Required
Probable cause
Reports
Screened-out referrals are those in which the caretaker(s) reside on an Indian reservation or military base over which the State has no jurisdiction. All other referrals are investigated.
Children
The State considers a report substantiated after an investigation, when there is probable cause to support a finding of abuse or neglect. (Probable cause means facts that provide a reasonable ground to believe that abuse or neglect occurred).
There has been a change in State law regarding "substance exposed newborns." Prior to the change in the law, a substance exposed newborn report could be substantiated if the mother and child tested positive for drugs. The new law added the requirement that a medical doctor must indicate that there is demonstrable harm to the child. A finding of demonstrable harm is apparently rare. This has caused a decrease in the number of child victims when compared to 2004. In addition, the number of reports involving private petitions and court ordered pick-ups of juveniles has been increasing. Both of these categories have a low incidence of substantiation.
Fatalities
The State reports fatalities in the Agency File when the complexity of the child fatality makes a timely finding difficult. These cases are dependent upon the adjudication of the criminal case and cannot be recorded until the case is complete.
Services
Postinvestigation services are provided to all clients having a referral of child abuse or neglect either directly by the Department Child Welfare or through referrals made to community agencies. The number of sites that received funding for preventive services under other funding sources increased for Federal fiscal year 2005. This resulted in a 110 percent increase in the Agency response for this field.
Darcy Dinning
CHRIS Project Manager
Office of Systems and Technology
Arkansas Department of Human Services
617 Main Street, Slot N101
Little Rock, AR 72204
501-682-2684
501-682-1376 Fax
darcy.dinning@mail.state.ar.us
Data File(s) Submitted
Child File, Agency File
Level of Evidence Required
Preponderance
Reports
The State considers an investigation initiated when a worker has a face-to-face interview with the alleged victim(s) outside the presence of the offender. If the alleged victim is too young to interview, then the worker must observe the alleged victim(s). The start time to an investigation is captured in hours and minutes.
A referral of child abuse or neglect is screened out if it does not meet the definition of abuse or neglect, as defined by the Arkansas Child Maltreatment Act. If a referral comes into the hotline and there is an ongoing investigation (pending a finding), the new allegation is added to the pending investigation and the referrals associated with the new referral identified as screened-out.
Children
The State maps the disposition of "true" to the NCANDS term substantiated. A "true" report is defined as when the preponderance of the evidence supports the allegation of child maltreatment, as defined by the Arkansas Child Maltreatment Act. This is a higher standard of evidence and should be understood to mean that it is more likely than not that the abuse or neglect occurred. The State does not use the NCANDS terms indicated or alternate response victim.
Fatalities
Child deaths are reported and accepted through the hotline.
Services
Postinvestigation services are considered services that begin during an investigation and continue past the investigation close date up to within 90 days of the investigation close date. The State did not report foster care data for Federal fiscal year 2005 due to unresolved data problems.
Tom Graham
Chief
Child Welfare Data Analysis Bureau
California Department of Social Services
744 P Street, Mail Station 12-84
Sacramento, CA 95814
916-653-3850
916-653-4880 Fax
tgraham@dss.ca.gov
Data File(s) Submitted
Child File, Agency File
Level of Evidence Required
Credible
Reports
In the past, the State has defined an "associated referral" as subsequent referrals that are determined to be reporting the same incident of maltreatment as the primary (or original) referral, but has counted them as two reports. Beginning with the Federal fiscal year (FFY) 2004, the State obtained Federal approval to exclude "associated (or secondary) referrals."
The State uses the referral date as the start date for calculating timely response information for all investigated referrals that are completed or attempted in person within the reporting period. The State no longer includes "counselors and therapists" as social service personnel; this category is rolled into the NCANDS category mental health professional.
The State tracks the percentage of cases in which face-to-face contact with a child occurs, or is attempted, within the regulatory periods in those situations when a face-to-face contact is determined necessary. From June through September 2005, the immediate response compliance rate was 96.1 percent and the 10-day response compliance rate was 93.6 percent.
Children
"Substantial risk" allegations are used in the instances when the caseworker intends to provide voluntary or preventive services without the requirement that another sibling in the referral was abused. The social worker is not required to select any additional allegations, but is required to select an abuse subcategory to show the type of abuse or neglect for which the child may be at risk.
Child living arrangement data are reported only for children in foster care.
The State reports Hispanic ethnicity as a race. Prior to the FFY 2005 data submission, children of Hispanic ethnicity were reported as race unable to determine. Beginning with FFY 2005, the State records more than one race per child.
Fatalities
Under the auspices of the California State Child Death Review Council, the California Department of Health Services (DHS) produces an estimate of the number of child abuse and neglect fatalities based on an annual Reconciliation Audit conducted with county Child Death Review Teams (CDRTs). The Audit uses four statewide data systems and the findings from CDRT reviews. Because the Audits for 2003-4 are still in progress, the best estimate on the number of fatal child abuse and neglect deaths available for California is from the 2002 Audit. The estimate for 2002 is 140 total fatalities.
Perpetrators
The State associates up to three perpetrators per report-child pair beginning with the FFY 2005 data submission. The notable increase in the number of foster parent and residential facility staff perpetrators is due in part to a change in reporting from community care licensing to Child Welfare Services and due to the State's ability to associate up to three perpetrators per report-child pair.
Services
Preventive services with other funding sources includes services with combined funding under Child Welfare Services, Promoting Safe and Stable Families, Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, and local funds. The number of families who received services under the Child Abuse and Neglect State Grant is the number of families that participated in a randomized clinical study and received case management services and group intervention.
Valerie Munn
Management Information and Evaluation Unit Manager
Office of Children, Youth & Family Services
Colorado Department of Human Services
1575 Sherman Street
Denver, CO 80203
303-866-5976
303-866-4191 Fax
valerie.munn@state.co.us
Data File(s) Submitted
Child File, Agency File
Level of Evidence Required
Preponderance
Reports
The investigation start date is the date the child protective services supervisor recorded into the tracking system an acceptance of an investigation by child welfare. Report dispositions are determined by the child protection caseworker and recorded after child protective services supervisory approval of the disposition.
Children
The State does not have a policy regarding alternative response and only reports on founded or unsubstantiated abuse. At this time, the State does not record the value intentionally false within the tracking system.
The NCANDS category "other" maltreatment type represents youth in crisis who receive voluntary services and have no specific maltreatment allegations.
Perpetrators
The State began reporting perpetrator data in Federal fiscal year 2003 and continues to focus on data quality for perpetrator tracking and reporting.
Services
Services may be underreported as not all intervention services are mapped to NCANDS.
Allon Kalisher
Program Supervisor
Connecticut Department of Children and Families
505 Hudson Street, 9th Floor
Hartford, CT 06106
860-723-7218
860-566-7947 Fax
allon.kalisher@po.state.ct.us
Data File(s) Submitted
Child File
Level of Evidence Required
Reasonable cause
General
The Department of Children and Families (DCF) is a consolidated children's services agency with statutory responsibility for child protection, mental health services, substance abuse treatment, and juvenile justice. It is a State-managed system comprised of 14 area offices. In addition, DCF operates four facilities—a children's psychiatric hospital, an emergency and diagnostic residential program, a treatment facility for children with serious mental health issues, and a juvenile justice facility.
Reports
A centralized intake unit—the Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline—operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. CPS workers receive the reports of suspected abuse and neglect and forward them to a regional office for investigation. Hotline field staff responds to emergencies when the regional offices are closed. Referrals are not accepted for investigation if they do not meet the statutory definition of abuse or neglect. Information on screened-out referrals is from the DCF Hotline.
Area office staff investigates reports of abuse and neglect. Investigation protocols include contact with the family, with the children apart from their parents, and with all collateral systems to which the family and child are known. All cases of sexual abuse—as well as serious cases of abuse, neglect, and medical neglect—are referred to the police per departmental policy.
During FFY 2005, there was a decrease in the number of substantiated reports after attention was paid to eliminating the practice of substantiating reports that represented information already reported (i.e., not new incidents of maltreatment). The Consent Decree Monitoring Division, the Human Resources Division, and the DCF Hotline provided information on the numbers of screening, intake, and investigation or assessment workers.
The State did not report maltreatment information for nonvictims due to an error in the reporting logic.
Fatalities
DCF collects data on all reported child fatalities regardless of whether or not the child or family received DCF services. The Special Review Unit conducts an investigation for cases in which a child dies and either had an active CPS case or had a prior substantiated report. The medical examiner is responsible for determining the cause of death and the criminal nature of the death. DCF makes the determination concerning abuse and neglect.
Perpetrators
For FFY 2005, there is a significant decrease in the total number of perpetrators. This is explained, at least in part, by the corresponding decrease in the number of substantiated reports.
Tara L. Tyre
Data Manager
Division of Family Services
Delaware Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families
1825 Faulkland Road
Wilmington, DE 19805
302-633-2538
302-633-2652 Fax
tara.tyre@state.de.us
Data File(s) Submitted
Child File, Agency File
Level of Evidence Required
Preponderance
Reports
The State's intake unit requires the collection of sufficient information to access and determine the urgency to investigate the report. The State has a dual response system for investigating cases. Urgent cases require contact within 24 hours and routine cases require contact within 10 days. The calculation of average response time is provided for family abuse investigations only because the State cannot determine the initial contact in institutional abuse investigations.
Children
The State uses 48 statutory types of child abuse, neglect, and dependency to substantiate an investigation. The State code defines the following terms: "Abuse" shall mean any physical injury to a child by those responsible for the care, custody and control of the child, through unjustified force as defined in §468 of Title 11, including emotional abuse, torture, criminally negligent treatment, sexual abuse, exploitation, maltreatment, or mistreatment. "Neglect" shall mean the failure to provide, by those responsible for the care, custody, and control of the child, the proper or necessary education as required by law; nutrition; or medical, surgical or any other care necessary for the child's well-being. "Dependent child" shall mean a child whose physical, mental, or emotional health and well-being is threatened or impaired because of inadequate care and protection by the child's custodian, who is unable to provide adequate care for the child, whether or not caused by the child's behavior.
Under the Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families, children may be placed in residential care from the child welfare program, the juvenile justice program, or the child mental health program. In calculating child victims reunited with their families in the previous 5 years, the State did not include the placements from Child Mental Health and Juvenile Justice as a previous placement in which the child was reunited with their family if there was no placement involvement with the child welfare agency. This is because the Juvenile Justice and Child Mental health placements alone are not the direct result of the caretaker's substantiation of abuse, neglect, or dependency.
Lois Branic
FACES Project
Child and Family Services Agency
District of Columbia Department of Human Services
702 H Street, NW, Ste. 200
Washington, DC 20001
202-434-0027
202-651-3580 Fax
lbranic@cfsa-dc.org
Data File(s) Submitted
Child File, Agency File
Level of Evidence Required
Credible
Reports
The hotline is a centralized system that receives all referrals of abuse and neglect. Some abuse cases are jointly investigated by child protective services and by the Metropolitan Police Department. During 2003, the disposition values changed to comply with an amendment to District law, "The Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect Act of 1977" (DC law 2-22; DC Official Code 4-1301.02). Changes in social workers' practice based on the new law and other agency initiatives resulted in the changes in NCANDS maltreatment dispositions and report dispositions for Federal fiscal year (FFY) 2005.
The decrease of 78 percent in the number of closed with no finding dispositions is a result of the use of additional disposition values. Closed with no finding dispositions now result in "unsubstantiated," "inconclusive," "incomplete," "unfounded," or "substantiated" dispositions.
Children
For FFY 2005, improvements are noted in the maltreatment recurrence outcome measure. While the FFY 2004 percentage of maltreatment recurrence exceeded the national standard for this measure, the District continues to place a great deal of value and concern on the number of recurrences of maltreatment among child victims. The District analyzed contributing factors and implemented interventions needed to reduce recurrences and promote better outcomes for children.
Services
The NCANDS category family preservation includes "academic guidance," "case management," "family therapy," "housing subsidies," "family conferencing," "parent support groups," "psychological services," and "concrete services."
Keith Perlman
Systems Project Consultant
Florida Department of Children and Families
Information Systems—HomeSafenet
1940 North Monroe Street, Room 2023
Tallahassee, FL 32303
850-922-2195
850-487-1731 Fax
keith_perlman@dcf.state.fl.us
Data File(s) Submitted
Child File, Agency File
Level of Evidence Required
Indicated: credible evidence
Substantiated: preponderance
Reports
This file represents the first full year of data from the State's Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System (SACWIS). The criteria to accept a report are that a child younger than 18 years was harmed or is at risk of harm by an adult caregiver or household member and the child either is a resident of, or can be located in the State. Screened-out referrals reflect phone calls received about situations that the caller initially thought were child abuse or neglect, but did not meet the statutory criteria.
The NCANDS category "other" report source includes attorney, spiritual healer, Guardian ad Litem, guardian, human rights advocacy committee, and client relations' coordinator. Multiple sources per report may be entered into the State's system. If so, the first source entered is used for NCANDS and the others are discarded. Foster care provider is not captured as a specific report source.
Response time in the Agency File is based on 147,998 reports. The response commences when the CPS investigator or another person designated to respond attempts the initial face-to-face contact with the victim. The system calculates the number of minutes from the received date and time to the commencement date and time. The minutes for all cases are averaged and converted to hours. An initial onsite response is conducted immediately in situations in which any one of the following allegations are made: (1) a child's immediate safety or well-being is endangered; (2) the family may flee or the child will be unavailable within 24 hours; (3) institutional abuse or neglect is alleged; (4) an employee of the department has allegedly committed an act of child abuse or neglect directly related to the job duties of the employee, or the allegations otherwise warrant an immediate response as specified in statute or policy; (5) a special condition referral for emergency services is received; or (6) the facts otherwise so warrant. All other initial responses must be conducted with an attempted onsite visit with the child victim within 24 hours.
The staff figures in the Agency File represent allocated positions as of September 30, 2005. They do not take into account vacancies, overtime, or temporary staff. Included are 141 hotline counselors; 17 hotline supervisors; 1,212 State full-time equivalent (FTE) child protective investigators, 212 State FTE investigator supervisors, 265 Sheriff's Office child protective investigators, and 50 Sheriff's Office investigator supervisors. Hotline staff also take calls related to adult protective services. Child calls represent about 80 percent of their workload. Workers and supervisors are related to the individual's assignment to a unit. If an individual transfers or is promoted from one unit or agency to another during the year, he or she will not retain the same worker value in the system.
Children
The Child File includes both children alleged to be victims and other children in the household. The Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) identification number field is populated with the number that would be created for the child regardless of whether that child has actually been removed or reported to AFCARS.
The NCANDS category "other" maltreatment type includes "threatened harm" and "domestic violence." Threatened harm is defined as behavior that is not accidental and is likely to result in harm to the child. However, the State does not believe it is appropriate to include these with maltreatments where harm has already occurred due to abuse (willful action) or neglect (omission, which is a serious disregard of parental responsibilities).
Most data captured for child and caregiver risk factors will only be available if there is a services case either already open at the time the report is received, or opened due to the report.
Fatalities
Fatality counts include any report disposed during the year, even those victims whose dates of death may have been in a prior year. Only verified abuse or neglect deaths are counted. The finding was verified when a preponderance of the credible evidence resulted in a determination that death was the result of abuse or neglect. All suspected child maltreatment fatalities must be reported for investigation and are included in the Child File. Agency file reporting has resumed in this area. Due to phased conversion, the State's SACWIS contains up to 5 years of service history.
Perpetrators
By policy, perpetrator data are captured only for substantiated reports, which have a higher level of evidence than indicated reports.
All licensed foster parents and nonfinalized adoptive parents are reported as nonrelative foster parents, although some may be related to the child. Approved relative caregivers (license not issued) are mapped to relative foster parents. The value for perpetrator relationship of "friends or neighbors" is not used. To meet statutory criteria for child abuse or neglect, the adult must be a caregiver. He or she may be coded as "sitter" and mapped to the NCANDS term child daycare provider if an unrelated friend or neighbor is caring for the child.
An error was corrected in the programming for perpetrator relationship this year to more accurately report foster care group home or residential facility staff.
Services
Services reported in the Child File are those recommended by the child protective investigator (CPI), based on a safety assessment, at the closure of the investigation. Referrals can be made, but services may or may not actually be received. The State does not have an automated system to track actual specific services provided within a case. Foster care services were modified this year to improve accuracy and consistency with AFCARS. If a removal date is entered for the child, foster care services now indicates "Yes" regardless of whether the CPI checked foster care as a recommended service.
Preventive services in the Agency File include, but are not limited to, after school enrichment and recreation, childcare and therapeutic care, community facilitation, community mapping and development, counseling and mentoring services, crisis and intervention services, delinquency prevention, and developmental screening and evaluation. Counts of preventive services do not include public awareness and education.
The families of the children included in child counts are also counted in the family counts; however, the family counts include additional families whose children were not included in the child counts. By statute, families may include biological, adoptive, and foster families; relative caregivers; guardians; and extended families. A single adult aged 18 years or older and living alone may be counted as one family. If a child does not have a family (because of abandonment, termination of parents' rights, institutional care, or other factors), the child is counted as one family.
Numbers reported as preventive services include families who received services (carryover and new) during the reporting period and children in the families who received services. If a parent received services (e.g., parent education and training), all children in the family were identified as children served. Children could not be served without the family being served. For example, if a child attended an after school tutoring program, one child and one family were served. When one of the children in the family received a direct service but the parent did not, siblings were not counted as receiving a service. However, the family was counted. Children and families may have been counted more than once because of the receipt of multiple services or the use of multiple funding sources.
Shirley B. Vassy
Unit Chief, Evaluation and Reporting
Division of Family and Children Services
Georgia Department of Human Resources
2 Peachtree Street NW, Room 19.202
Atlanta, GA 30303-3142
404-657-5133
404-657-3325 Fax
sbvassy@dhr.state.ga.us
Data File(s) Submitted
Child File, Agency File
Level of Evidence Required
Preponderance
Reports
Federal fiscal year 2005 is the first year that the State submitted a Child File to NCANDS. This may affect the comparability of previous years' data to the present.
The components of a child protective services (CPS) report are a child younger than 18 years, a known or unknown individual alleged to be a perpetrator, and a referral of conditions indicating child maltreatment. Screened-out referrals were those that did not contain the components of a CPS report. Situations in which no allegations of maltreatment were included in the referral and in which local or county protocols did not require a response, were screened out. Such situations could have included historical incidents, custody issues, poverty issues, educational neglect or truancy issues, situations involving an unborn child, or juvenile delinquency issues. For many of these, referrals were made to other resources, such as early intervention or preventive programs.
The NCANDS category of social services personnel includes Department of Human Resources staff. The NCANDS category "other" report source includes other nonmandated reporters, religious leaders or staff, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families staff.
Children
Prior to 2004, multiracial victims were included in the NCANDS category of unknown race. As of 2004, a child victim may be counted in more than one racial group and is reported separately for all categories that apply.
Services
The State maintains data on services through counts of cases, not children. Thus, estimates were provided. Only data for removals that occurred during an investigation are included. Data on removals that occurred after the investigation decision, or within 90 days of the decision, were unavailable. The Child Placement Project Study (a project of the Georgia Supreme Court) provided the number of victims who received a court-appointed representative.
Ricky Higashide
Acting Research Supervisor
Management Services Office
Hawaii Department of Human Services
1390 Miller Street, Room 210
Honolulu, HI 96813
808-586-5117
808-586-4810 Fax
rhigashide@dhs.hawaii.gov
Data File(s) Submitted
Child File, Agency File
Level of Evidence Required
Reasonable, foreseeable risk
Reports
The number of screened-out children reported in the Agency File was approximated. Reports to child protective services (CPS) are handled in one of three ways: 1) least severe cases are contracted to Family Strengthening Services, 2) less severe cases are diverted to Voluntary Case Management, 3) the severe cases are sent to investigation. Cases that were previously investigated and confirmed as "threatened harm" may now be diverted to Family Strengthening Services or Voluntary Case Management, without investigation. This results in a drop in reports included in the NCANDS Child File. Because a majority of recurrence cases was "threatened harm," this would also result in a reduction in recurrence rate.
Children
The NCANDS category "other" maltreatment type includes "threatened abuse" or "threatened neglect." The State only uses substantiated and unsubstantiated dispositions. The substantiated victim was with one or more of the alleged maltreatments confirmed with more than 50 percent certainty.
Perpetrators
The State CPS system designates up to two perpetrators per child.
Services
The State is not able to report children and families receiving preventive services under the Child Abuse and Neglect State Grant, the Social Services Block Grant, and "other" funding sources because funds are mixed. Funds are allocated into a single budget classification and multiple sources of State and Federal funding are combined to pay for most services. All active cases receive services.
Jeri Bala
Program Systems Specialist
Division of Family and Community Services/FOCUS
Idaho Department of Health and Welfare
450 West State Street
Boise, ID 83720
208-332-7227
208-332-7351 Fax
balaj@idhw.state.id.us
Data File(s) Submitted
Child File, Agency File
Level of Evidence Required
Preponderance
Reports
The investigation start date is defined as the date and time the child was seen by a child protective services (CPS) staff member. The date and time were compared against the report date and time when CPS was notified about the alleged abuse.
Children
At this time, the State's Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System (SACWIS) cannot provide living arrangement information to the degree of detail requested.
Services
Court-appointed representative data are not tracked in the State's SACWIS. However, children usually have a Guardian ad Litem assigned to them if they have court involvement.
The State does not distinguish between counseling and mental health services. The State does not maintain information that would differentiate Family Planning Services from other, similar services.
For the Agency File data, the numbers of children and families who received preventive services under Community-Based Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect Grants were provided by a manual count from the Children's Trust Fund for Community-Based Family Resource and Support Grant Programs. Also for Agency File data, the numbers of children and families who received services funded by the Family Preservation and Support grant were attached to reports that fell within the reporting period.
For the Agency File data, families served from Community Resources for Families School Prevention Program, were measured from the Community Resource Emergency Assistance (CREA) system.
Jim Van Leer
Supervisor, Office of Information Services
Illinois Department of Children and Family Services
1 N. Old State Capitol Plaza Station SACWIS
Springfield, IL 62701
217-747-7626
217-747-7750 Fax
jvanleer@idcfs.state.il.us
Data File(s) Submitted
Child File, Agency File
Level of Evidence Required
Credible
Reports
All calls to the hotline that meet the criteria of an abuse or neglect allegation are referred for a child protective services investigation.
The NCANDS category "other" report dispositions refers to noninvolved children (i.e., children not suspected of being abuse or neglected) who are recorded on a child abuse or neglect report. Because there are no allegations of abuse or neglect for these children, there are no specific dispositions.
The response time to investigation is based on the average time between the receipt of a report at the hotline and the time an investigator makes the first contact. The response time is determined both by priority standard and by apparent risk to the alleged victim. All investigations, with the exception of cases involving only lockout of an adolescent or teenager, must be initiated within 24 hours according to State law. Lockout cases must be initiated within 48 hours.
Children
Children who are at risk of physical injury are reported in the physical abuse category and children who are at risk of sexual injury are reported in the sexual abuse category per the instructions provided for this year's submission.
Angela Green
Regional Manager, Region 15
Indiana Department of Child Services
402 W. Washington, Room W 392-M
Indianapolis, IN 46204
317-232-4631
317-232-4490 Fax
angela.green@fssa.in.gov
Data File(s) Submitted
Child File, Agency File
Level of Evidence Required
Credible
Reports
Per State statute, there are three separate response times dependent on the type of allegation. The NCANDS category "other" report source includes "military" and "other." Inconsistencies in the report county arise because the report started in one county and was transferred to another.
Children
The category "other" living arrangement includes "school," "State institution," "nursing home," "hospital," "other," "registered ministries" and "all unregistered or unlicensed centers functioning as registered ministries, including after-school programs." Incident date is not reported.
Fatalities
The State implemented new child fatality functionality and formed a fatality review team to ensure the child fatality was due to abuse or neglect. As a result, the State reported fewer fatalities for FFY 2005.
Perpetrators
The NCANDS category "other" perpetrator relationship includes "teacher," "babysitter," "Guardian ad Litem," "court-appointed special advocate," "resident," "never participated," "other," and "unavailable."
Services
The increase in preventive services clients served with title IV-B Part II Family Support and title IV-B Part II FPS from 2004 to 2005 is the result of two changes that occurred in the way funds were allocated during this period. The title IV-B Part II distribution of funds through the contract period that ended September 30, 2004 required that a minimum of 20 percent of the State's Part II funds be allocated to each of Family Support, FPS, and Time-Limited Reunification. Many counties did not have enough families meeting the Federal eligibility criteria to use this much Time-Limited Reunification funding so some funds were left unspent.
Therefore, for the contract cycle beginning October 1, 2004, the required minimums were changed to 5 percent for Time-Limited Reunification and 35 percent for FPS. The result was more families being served with federal funds, especially the FPS funds, during 2005. The second shift of funds during 2005 was the removal from the regional contracts of all the title IV-B Part I funds on July 1, 2005. A significant portion of the Part I funds were used historically to serve families that met the eligibility requirements for funding under title IV-B Part II Family Support. Many of the Family Support contracts were funded with both Part I funds and Part II Family Support funds. With the loss of the Part I funds, some families were shifted to the Family Support funds for the last 6 months of 2005.
Joseph Finnegan
Bureau Chief
Child Welfare Information Systems
Iowa Department of Human Services
Hoover State Office Building, 5th Floor
1305 East Walnut
Des Moines, IA 50319
515-281-5126
515-281-4597 Fax
jfinneg@dhs.state.ia.us
Data File(s) Submitted
Child File, Agency File
Level of Evidence Required
Preponderance of credible evidence (greater than 50%)
Reports
The investigation start date is determined by first face-to-face contact with the alleged victim. Dates and days are the smallest units of time maintained in the State's system.
Children
The number of victims associated with prior child abuse assessments decreased during Federal fiscal year (FFY) 2005, due to the change of excluding unknown perpetrators and including only founded, substantiated, or indicated incidents.
Perpetrators
The number of perpetrators associated with prior child abuse assessments decreased during FFY 2005, due to the change of excluding unknown perpetrators and including only founded, substantiated, or indicated incidents.
Services
The FFY 2005 services include out of home placements and community care activities as a direct result of the child abuse assessment.
Jill Loebel
Division of Children and Family Policy
Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitative Services
Docking State Office Building, 5th Floor South
915 SW Harrison
Topeka, KS 66612-1570
785-368-8172
785-368-8159 Fax
jrl@srskansas.org
Data File(s) Submitted
Child File, Agency File
Level of Evidence Required
Clear and convincing
Reports
In July 2004, the Kansas Administrative Regulations for the definitions of abuse and neglect were changed. This change had an impact on what referrals are screened in and screened out and was a factor in the decrease of screened in referrals for Federal fiscal year (FFY) 2005.
The investigation start date is defined as the date of first face-to-face contact with an alleged victim. Dates and days are the smallest units of time maintained in the State's system for NCANDS reporting.
The NCANDS category "other" report source includes "self," "private agencies," "religious leaders," "guardian," "Job Corp," "landlord," "Indian tribe or court," "other person," "out-of-State agency," "citizen review board member," "collateral witness," "public official," "volunteer," and "crippled children's services."
Children
In July 2004, the Kansas Administrative Regulations regarding the Standard of Evidence for making a case-finding decision were changed from preponderance of evidence to clear and convincing evidence. A result of this change was a decrease in the number of substantiated children for FFY 2005 compared to FFY 2004. Substantiated means the facts or circumstances provide clear and convincing evidence to conclude abuse or neglect did occur based on the Kansas Statutes Annotated and Kansas Administrative Regulations definition of abuse or neglect.
The NCANDS category "other" maltreatment type includes "lack of supervision."
Perpetrators
In July 2004, the Kansas Administrative Regulations regarding the Standard of Evidence for making a case finding decision were changed from preponderance of evidence to clear and convincing evidence. A result of this change was a decrease in the number of perpetrators in FFY 2005 compared to FFY 2004.
Services
The State does not capture information on court-appointed representatives. However, State law requires every child to have a court-appointed attorney.
Postinvestigation services are defined as cases that have an open plan for services such as family services, family preservation, foster care, etc.
Bobby Reid
Office of Technology
Client System Server Management
Kentucky Cabinet for Families and Children
151 Elkhorn Court
Frankfort, KY 40601
502-573-6425
bobby.reid@ky.gov
Data File(s) Submitted
Child File, Agency File
Level of Evidence Required
Preponderance
Perpetrators
Perpetrator data were provided in the Child File for substantiated victims, but not for alternative response victims.
Services
Service data were reported for both victims and nonvictims.
Walter G. Fahr
Child Welfare Specialist V
Office of Community Services
Department of Social Services
333 Laurel Street
Baton Rouge, LA 70801
225-342-6832
225-342-9087 Fax
wfahr@dss.state.la.us
Data Files Submitted
Child File, Agency File
Level of Evidence Required
Reasonable
Reports
The Federal fiscal year (FFY) 2005 Child File has a 13 percent increase in accepted reports when compared to FFY 2004. The State utilized the technical assistance of the NCANDS team to rewrite its NCANDS mapping and programming code. The result of this effort was the increase in accepted Child files, which more accurately reflects the true number in the State.
The investigation start date is the date and time of the initial face-to-face contact with each identified victim and the victim's parent or caretaker. The State is starting to capture the initial date and time—including hours and minutes—for victims and caretakers.
Referrals are screened in if they meet the three primary criteria for case acceptance: a child victim younger than 18 years; an allegation of child abuse or neglect as defined by the Louisiana Children' Code; and the alleged perpetrator is the legal caretaker of the alleged victim. The State does not capture information on screened-out referrals.
The State is currently unable to provide data on response time to initial investigation in the Agency File. A State request was made to report this information in the next NCANDS submission.
Children
Data were generally not available for child and caretaker risk factors.
The State term for a substantiated case is "valid." When determining a final finding of "valid" child abuse or neglect, the worker and supervisor review the information gathered during the investigation carefully, and use the following standard:
The available facts when viewed in light of surrounding circumstances would cause a reasonable person to believe that the following exists:
If the answers to the above are "yes," then the allegation(s) is valid.
The State term for unsubstantiated cases is "invalid." The definition of invalid is as follows:
It is expected that the worker and supervisor will determine a finding of "invalid" or "valid" whenever possible. For cases in which the investigation findings do not meet the standard for "invalid" or "valid," additional contacts or investigative activities should be conducted to determine a finding. When a finding cannot be determined following such efforts, an inconclusive finding is considered. It is appropriate when there is some evidence to support a finding that abuse or neglect occurred but there is not enough credible evidence to meet the standard for a "valid" finding. The inconclusive finding is only appropriate for cases in which there are particular facts or dynamics that give the worker or supervisor a reason to suspect child abuse or neglect occurred. Staff are expected to use caution when using this finding as it not to be considered a "catchall" finding.
Article 612 of the Louisiana Children's Code enables the agency to handle incoming referrals of abuse and neglect that are identified as low risk with an assessment of the family's needs and referral for necessary services. These cases do not have a finding for child maltreatment for the victims. Therefore, all of these cases are counted as alternate response nonvictim cases.
The NCANDS category "other" dispositions includes "tracking only" for persons who are not a subject of an investigation but are included because of their relationship with a child. This may include parents who do not reside with a child victim or others who may be contacted because of their knowledge of a child. "Transfer to other program" for when a case is transferred to another program or agency, usually because it is not a child protection investigation."Noninvolved person responsible for the child" identifies a parent or guardian who is not the subject of a child abuse or neglect investigation.
Perpetrators
The FFY 2005 submission has a 72 percent increase in the number of perpetrators when compared to FFY 2004. The State utilized the technical assistance of the NCANDS team to rewrite its NCANDS mapping and programming code. The result of this effort was the increase in accepted Child files, which more accurately reflects the true number in the State.
The State is unable to capture the perpetrator relationship accurately and therefore reports the code "other" for 99 percent of cases.
Services
The State provides the following postinvestigation services: foster, adoptive, in-home family services, and family in need of services cases provided services by the child protective services agency, after the investigation. The State provides more postinvestigation services than it is able to link to in the NCANDS process. Almost all services provided by other agencies and offices are not reported.
Robert Pronovost
Manager, Intake Unit
Bureau of Child and Family Services
Department of Health and Human Services
11 State House Station
221 State Street
Augusta, ME 04333
207-626-8642
207-287-5065 Fax
robert.n.pronovost@maine.gov
Data File(s) Submitted
Child File, Agency File
Level of Evidence Required
Preponderance
Reports
The State's Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System (SACWIS) is used to document all reports made to child protective services (CPS). Report dispositions include "inappropriate for CPS" (does not meet the criteria for investigation), "appropriate for CPS referred to contract agency," and "appropriate reports assigned for assessment." The State's Child File only includes data on the "reports assigned for assessment."
The report date is defined as the date when the intake unit received the report. The investigation start date is defined as the date when face-to-face contact occurs with the alleged victim. Both of these dates are captured in date, hours, and minutes in the SACWIS, but reported as date only to NCANDS.
The number of children reported to be subjects of a report but not referred for an investigation is an undercount. Only the number of children who were referred to a contract agency for followup is known.
The number of full-time equivalents (FTEs) was taken from the Legislative Line List. Screening and intake staff includes the full-time staff of the Central Child Protection Intake Unit and a proportion of field staff that perform intake and screening functions in the eight district offices.
Children
A Child File record was submitted for any child with the role of alleged victim. Additional children in the family who had a role of "not involved" or "undetermined" were not included in the submission.
Fatalities
Fatality information was provided by the Child Death and Serious Injury Review Panel and reported in the Agency File.
Perpetrators
The State now has an appeals process for perpetrators that do not agree with a specific finding. Findings practice is changing because of the high overturn rate.
Services
Nine private agencies under contract with the Bureau of Child and Family Services provide preventive and postassessment services in all 16 counties. The number of families referred is available in the SACWIS, but the specific types of services provided are not reported. Services information will show decreasing numbers due to most service cases being referred out to private agencies. The State is making a policy change that restricts State involvement in services cases to only those with high severity findings of abuse and neglect. State involvement will also be limited to 6 months or less unless court action is taken.
Philip King
Program Analyst
Research Unit
Social Services Administration
Maryland Department of Human Resources
311 West Saratoga Street, Room 533
Baltimore, MD 21201
410-767-7353
410-333-6556 Fax
pking@dhr.state.md.us
Data File(s) Submitted
Child File, Agency File
Level of Evidence Required
Preponderance
Reports
The State disposition category "ruled out" is used for situations of maltreatment that cannot be substantiated. Such reports are required to be expunged from the database within 120 days of their receipt. Therefore, the complete counts of unsubstantiated reports and children associated with these reports were not available.
The number of staff reflects full-time equivalent positions allotted for child protective services. The State does not designate screening, investigations, or continuing service tasks for these positions. Local departments determine use, based on their needs.
Children
A substantiated (indicated) investigation may appear without an identified child victim. This situation represents incomplete data recording, transcription or entry. The current data system contains no edits to prevent this error.
Perpetrators
A substantiated (indicated) investigation may appear without an identified perpetrator. Maryland Family Law provides that any person accused of perpetrating child abuse or neglect has a right to a hearing before an Administrative Law Judge. In such cases, nothing may be noted in the record of the investigation until after the hearing. Our report contains records of investigations under appeal.
Services
The number of recipients of preventive services was an estimate of the number of families who received such services as Continuing CPS, Intensive Family Services, or Families Now. Each family could have received any number of additional support services (e.g., addiction counseling, daycare, or crisis intervention). The data collection system does not track preventive services provided by community service agencies outside the Department of Human Resources system.
Rosalind Walter
Director of Data Management
Information Technology
Department of Social Services
24 Farnsworth Street
Boston, MA 02210
617-748-2219
617-748-2419 Fax
ros.walter@state.ma.us
Data File(s) Submitted
Child File, Agency File
Level of Evidence Required
Reasonable
Reports
The State has a policy for completing investigations within 24 hours for emergency reports and within 10 days for nonemergency reports.
The number of screening, intake, and investigation workers is based on an estimated number of full time equivalents (FTEs), derived by dividing the number of intakes and investigations completed during the calendar year by the monthly workload standards. The number includes both State staff and staff working for the Judge Baker Guidance Center. The Judge Baker Guidance Center handles child protective services functions during evening and weekend hours when State offices are closed. Because assessments are case-management activities rather than screening, intake, and investigation activities, the number of workers completing assessments was not reported.
The estimated FTE numbers were taken from Reports of Child Abuse/Neglect—Twelve Month Summary and Investigations Completed—Twelve Month Summary. The State uses these numbers for its own management purposes, and they present a clearer picture than would a count of unique individuals who performed these functions. Many Department of Social Services social workers perform screening, intake, and investigation functions in addition to ongoing casework.
Living arrangement data are not collected during investigations with enough specificity to report except for children who are in placement. Child alcohol and drug abuse are not reported because FamilyNet (State's SACWIS) does not currently distinguish between types of substance abuse. Data on child health and behavior are collected, but it is not mandatory to enter the data during an investigation. Data on caretaker health and behavior conditions are not usually collected. The investigation start date is defined as the date that the intake is screened in for investigation.
Fatalities
The number of FFY 2005 fatalities was reduced from 8 to 7 after the analyses in this report were completed. The State maintains a database with child fatality information entered by the Case Investigation Unit.
Services
Data are collected only for those services that are provided by the Department of Social Services.
The Department of Social Services can be granted custody of a child who is never removed from home and placed in substitute care. When the Department of Social Services is granted custody of a child, the child will have an appointed representative, but that data might not be recorded in FamilyNet.
Laurie Johnson
CPS Systems Specialist
Children's Protective Services Unit
Michigan Family Independence Agency
235 South Grand Avenue, Suite 510
Lansing, MI 48909
517-241-3577
517-241-7407 Fax
johnsonl@michigan.gov
Data File(s) Submitted
Child File
Level of Evidence Required
Preponderance of evidence
Reports
The State is unable to report investigation start date.
The NCANDS category "other" report source includes "hospital/clinic," "FIA-operated facility," "DMH-operated facility," "other public agency," and "private agency personnel."
Children
The NCANDS category "other" living arrangement includes "other out-of-home" and "multiple placements."
Perpetrators
The NCANDS category "other" perpetrator relationship includes "other household."
Services
Currently, services plans are completed in word templates and are not a part of a system. The new SACWIS will capture this information.
Jean Swanson Broberg
Systems Analysis Supervisor
Child Safety & Permanency, SSIS
Minnesota Department of Human Services
444 Lafayette Rd N
St Paul, MN 55155-3862
651-772-3765
651-772-3794 Fax
jean.swanson-broberg@state.mn.us
Data File(s) Submitted
Child File, Agency File
Level of Evidence Required
Preponderance
Reports
The State's Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System (SACWIS) made significant improvements to the ease of recording screened-out child maltreatment referrals in mid-2004. Greater ease of use, training for counties, State quality assurance reviews, and enhanced local supervision during Federal fiscal year 2005 have contributed to more complete reporting of screened-out referrals.
The NCANDS category "other" report sources includes "clergy," "department of human services birth match," "other mandated," and "other nonmandated."
Children
The category "other" living arrangement includes "independent living" and "other."
Fatalities
All child victims known to the social services agencies to have died because of child maltreatment are included in the Child File.
Perpetrators
The NCANDS category "other" perpetrator relationship includes "other nonrelative."
Services
For the Child Abuse and Neglect Grant, Federal and State funding for Crisis Nurseries ended June 30, 2004. Local and private dollars continue for some of the Crisis Nurseries, but the State does not have any data on the numbers served. For the Community-Based Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect Grant, Promoting Safe and Stable Families Program data, a significant gain in the number of children was offset by an even more significant decrease in the number of families, so the difference is likely attributable, at least in part, to a switch in how the private agencies reported the data, i.e., with numbers of children rather than with number of families served.
Shirley Johnson
Program Manager
Division of Family and Children's Services
Mississippi Department of Human Services
750 North State Street
Jackson, MS 39205
601-359-4679
601-359-2572 Fax
shirleyj@mdhs.state.ms.us
Data File(s) Submitted
Child File, Agency File
Level of Evidence Required
Credible
Reports
The State is making changes to its Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System to collect living arrangement data. An investigation is initiated with an "alleged victim" or an "attempted contact" narrative entry. This date becomes the investigation start date field. Time is calculated in hours from the time that a report is received by the agency to the time of initiation.
Children
The Department of Family and Children Services classifies all reports as "indicated" or "no evidence." "Indicated" numbers are mapped to the NCANDS category substantiated.
Meliny Staysa
Program Development Specialist
Children's Division Central Office
Department of Social Services
615 Howerton
Jefferson City, MO 65103-0088
573-522-8620
573-526-3971 Fax
meliny.j.staysa@dss.mo.gov
Data File(s) Submitted
Child File, Agency File
Level of Evidence Required
Preponderance of evidence as of August 28, 2004.
Reports
The State records the date of the first actual face-to-face contact with an alleged victim as the start date of the investigation. Therefore, the response time indicated is based on the time from the login of the call to the time of the first actual face-to-face contact with the victim for all report and response types, recorded in hours.
The State does not retain the maltreatment type for reports that are classified as alternative response nonvictim, unsubstantiated, or closed with no finding. For children in these reports, the maltreatment type was coded as "other" and the maltreatment disposition was assigned the value of the report disposition.
In Federal fiscal year (FFY) 2005, the State screened out 44,776 referrals, compared to 49,813 in FFY 2004. This is a decrease of 10 percent (ratio based on all calls received). This decrease may be accounted for by protocol changes at the Centralized Hotline Unit, and increased training due to Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System (SACWIS) implementation.
The State also decreased the number of referrals in FFY 2005 that were closed with no finding, while there was an increase in referrals that were unsubstantiated. This could be attributed to improved efforts through diligent searching to locate families that are not easily located.
The State had an increase in the number of staff responsible for child protective services (CPS) functions to 438 for FFY 2005 compared to 387 for FFY 2004. Included in this number are front line workers handling intake, and the investigation or assessment of child abuse or neglect reports and referrals. In the State, workers are not always solely dedicated to one specific function, often performing multiple duties. Therefore, the number of CPS staff was estimated, based on a calculation of need multiplied by the year's estimated staffing ratio. The increase of staff may be explained due to additional funding that was received for the State to pursue national accreditation.
The number of screening and intake staff includes the total number of staff in the child abuse and neglect centralized hotline registry.
Children
The State counts a child as a victim of abuse or neglect following a substantiated finding of abuse or neglect based on a preponderance of evidence standard or court adjudicated determination. Children who received an alternative response are not considered to be victims of abuse or neglect. Therefore, the State rate of prior victimization is not comparable to States who define victimization in a different manner. For example, the State measures its rate of prior victimization by calculating the total number of FFY 2005 substantiated records, and dividing by the total number of prior substantiated records, not including unsubstantiated or alternate response records.
Perpetrators
The State retains individual findings for perpetrators associated with individual children. For NCANDS, the value of the report disposition is equal to the most severe determination of any perpetrator associated with the report.
Services
Data were obtained for child contacts with court-appointed special advocates (CASA) from the State CASA association. Data for child contacts with Guardians ad Litem were not available for FFY 2005.
The Children's Trust Fund provided supplemental data regarding preventive services.
Lou Walters
Child and Adult Protective Services System Liaison
Child and Family Services
Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services
1400 Broadway
Helena, MT 59601
406-444-1674
406-444-5956 Fax
lwalters@state.mt.us
Data File(s) Submitted
Child File, Agency File
Level of Evidence Required
Preponderance
Reports
The Child and Family Centralized Intake Unit screens each report of child abuse or neglect to determine if it requires investigation, services, placement, or information only. Reports requiring immediate assessment or investigation are immediately telephoned to the field office where by law they receive an assessment or investigation within 24 hours. All other child protective services (CPS) reports that require assessment or investigation are sent to the field within 8 hours or receipt of the call.
Due to the State's rural nature, the majority of workers perform both intake and assessment functions. This number includes social workers, case aides, permanency workers, and supervisors. The number of full-time equivalents was calculated by gathering data for a 2-week period as to the number of calls to each field office and the time of day those referrals were received. The State also gathered data as to the number or reports that were entered into the system during the same timeframe. The State developed a weighted formula to determine the number of individuals required to handle the number of referrals.
The State received 30 percent more referrals from social service workers in Federal fiscal year (FFY) 2005 compared to FFY 2003 as an indirect result of methamphetamine abuse.
Children
Since 2003, there has been a steady increase in the number of victims and in the number of allegations of neglect related to methamphetamine use.
Frank Fornataro
Business System Analyst
HHSS, Protection & Safety
301 Centennial Mall South
P.O. Box 95044
Lincoln, NE 68509-5044
402-471-6615
402-471-9597 Fax
frank.fornataro@hhss.ne.gov
Data File(s) Submitted
Child File, Agency File
Level of Evidence Required
A preponderance of evidence is required for court-substantiated and inconclusive dispositions.
Reports
The State continues to see an increase in reports each year, which has been affected by several changes in policy and procedures. The State continues to use a Public Awareness Program that in 2003 established a hotline and identifies signs of child abuse and neglect for the public.
Since the middle of 2003 and 2004, more emphasis has been placed on safety. This increased the acceptance of referrals and categorizing of children as victims, whereas in the past the referral would have been screened out or referred for a different service.
A new intake report screening tool was updated during Federal fiscal year (FFY) 2004. Workers are more comfortable in accepting more referrals that may have been screened out in previous years when the tool did not exist.
The State has a disposition called "petition to be filed" that is mapped to the NCANDS category substantiated. If the court does not find enough evidence to substantiate the report,then the finding is changed to "inconclusive" (substantiated by the department). Rarely do cases that go to court end with a finding of unsubstantiated unless the court process reveals extenuating circumstances supporting such a finding.
"Petition to be filed" is not a final disposition. The State recently started monitoring reports with this finding closely, creating a list of reports in this status by date. When the change or update is made, in most if not all cases, the new finding date is entered. Many times this new date causes the report to reflect in a subsequent NCANDS reporting period. This is actually a duplication of report and child pair that reflected on a previous year.
The State compared previous years' data to the current submission and found the following duplication of child-pair reports with the same finding crossing over report years believed to be caused by the updating of the finding from "petition to be filed":
It is possible that some of the cases reviewed by the review team were updated from "petition to be filed" to unsubstantiated. The review process would be a cause of report increase for two reasons:
Children
In 2003, there was a change in NCANDS submission requiring all children listed in a report be included even if they were not victims or had no allegations.
The State is more diligent with including all children in the reports, especially if they live in the home where the abuse is reported. This kind of reporting causes a disproportionate correlation when comparing report count with the abuse type count across report periods.
County data and maltreatment level for the child is included in the allegation. Children who are not victims do not have this information included in their report. These two fields have caused a mismatch when comparing two fields where the information is pulled in for the child, i.e., investigation date and report maltreatment level.
Fatalities
During the collection process for FFY 2005, the State conducted an in-depth analysis of how fatalities are reported. This resulted in the following changes in determining the fatality count.
This was caused in part because child fatalities with the finding of court pending were reflected in the previous year's Child File. The court pending finding was then updated to a permanent finding with a finding date during FFY 2005. To prevent this from happening in the future, the following action was taken:
Services
The State is analyzing how services are computed. NCANDS only includes services that are implemented or continue after the disposition date. The State's "best practice" includes discontinuing services when the service is no longer required or needed. In many instances, this may be prior to the disposition date. In such instances, the number reported to NCANDS does not include services that may have been provided, but were only needed for a short time before the disposition date.
Otto D. Lynn
Social Services Program Specialist III
Information Management Services
Division of Child and Family Services
727 Fairview Dr, Suite E
Carson City, NV 89701
775-687-5500
775-687-5525 Fax
olynn@dcfs.state.nv.us
Data File(s) Submitted
Child File, Agency File
Level of Evidence Required
Credible Evidence
General
The State's child protective services (CPS) functions as three regional service areas: the Rural Region operates as a State supervised and State administered delivery system, and the Northern (Washoe County) and Southern (Clark County) Regions operate as State supervised and county administered delivery systems. All three service areas are now using a single data system under the State's Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System—the Unified Nevada Information Technology for Youth (U.N.I.T.Y.).
Reports
The information system captures initial response date, time, and type of response for investigation start date. This response type is usually a face-to-face contact with the alleged victim. If face-to-face contact was not possible, the date is when CPS initially contacted any party who could provide information essential to the investigation or assessment. Screened-out referrals are calls that do not meet the minimum criteria to be investigated. These calls can include referrals to community providers such as parenting classes or mental health services.
Children
The State is currently not able to report on child living arrangement, but it is developing an enhancement to report this information in the future.
Services
Many of the preventive services are delivered by nonprofit agencies that have received grants from the State.
Fatalities
Prior to FFY 2005, the State reported only those child fatalities that were investigated and substantiated by the child welfare agency. However, it was felt that the number of fatalities was underreported. Beginning with FFY 2005, the State worked closely with the Health Division as well as Child Fatality Review Team to report accurately child fatalities that were due to maltreatment. The State does not think there has been an increase in child fatalities, but rather more accurate reporting of child fatalities.
Jane M. Whitney
Systems Analyst/Reporting Coordinator
Office of Information Systems
New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services
129 Pleasant Street
State Office Park South
Concord, NH 03301
603-271-0837
603-271-4729 Fax
jmwhitney@dhhs.state.nh.us
Data File(s) Submitted
Child File, Agency File
Level of Evidence Required
Preponderance
Reports
The number of screening and intake workers includes nine intake workers and one Child protection service supervisor. The number of investigation and assessment workers includes 68 assessment workers and 2 workers who specialize in investigating allegations of abuse and neglect in out-of-home placements. This is a point-in-time snapshot taken during July 2005.
The investigation start date is defined as the date the report is approved for assessment. Dates and days are the smallest units of time maintained in the State's system for NCANDS reporting.
Fatalities
Data were obtained from the Chief Medical Examiner's Office and the Attorney General's Office.
Services
For some services, the estimates based on 9 months use of a new database were provided. The estimates were provided for children funded by the Child Abuse and Neglect State Grant, Promoting Safe and Stable Families Program, and Social Services Block Grant. Community-Based Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect data were provided by the New Hampshire Children's Trust Fund.
CASA of New Hampshire requires a court-appointed special advocate (CASA) or Guardian ad Litem (GAL) to visit the children at least once per month. However, not all children were served by a CASA or GAL for all 12 months of the year. Some cases did not start until part way through the year and other cases closed during the course of it. A CASA was appointed for approximately 72 percent of abuse or neglect cases during Federal Fiscal year 2005.
Donna Perna
Manager
Information Processing
Office of Information Services
Division of Youth and Family Services
New Jersey Department of Human Services
50 East State Street, 5th Floor
Trenton, NJ 08625-0717
609-292-4759
609-292-8196 Fax
donna.perna@dcf.state.nj.us
Data File(s) Submitted
Child File
Level of Evidence Required
Preponderance
Reports
The Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS) requires all referrals to receive either an assessment or a child protective services investigation, depending on the referral type.
Linnette Carlson
FACTS/Research & Evaluation Manager
Protective Services
Children, Youth & Families Department
1120 Paseo de Peralto
Santa Fe, NM 87502
505-827-8400
505-827-8480 Fax
lcarlson@cyfd.state.nm.us
Data File(s) Submitted
Child File, Agency File
Level of Evidence Required:
Credible
With the Federal fiscal year (FFY) 2005 NCANDS data submission, the State made substantial efforts to refine the accuracy of data mapping and coding. All 146 elements were reviewed and the mapping and coding were modified to be consistent with NCANDS definitions as well as incorporating new or modified Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System (SACWIS) FACTS (Family and Child Tracking System) functionality. Due in part to these refinements, there are noticeable differences for many data elements between previous and current data submissions.
The State's SACWIS has been operational since 1997 and held Tier 2 status "SACWIS Compliance Action Plans Approved" since September 2004. The State completed a SACIWS site visit during April 2006, in which all-remaining SACWIS elements and requirements were closed by the Administration for Children and Families. The State achieved SACWIS Tier 1 Status (SACWIS Compliance Achieved) during May 2006.
Reports
During FFY 2005, substantial efforts and resources were directed toward clearing a backlog of investigations that had been pending completion in FACTS for more than 30 days. The State completed approximately 4,000 more investigations than were completed during FFY 2004 (approximately 25% increase). Additionally, significant changes were made to the NCANDS mapping and coding to improve the accuracy of data. As a result, the numbers of reports and victims appear higher in this submission compared to previous NCANDS submissions.
Investigation start date is not captured. In previous submissions, the State reported the system-generated date that the investigation was created in FACTS, which is not consistent with NCANDS definition of this data element.
Notifications are not reported in this data submittal. The State previously reported that all reports of child maltreatment were referred to law enforcement. At the time of the NCANDS rewrite, misinformation was provided to the NCANDS team that the State only referred appropriate reports of child maltreatment to law enforcement via telephone and fax. Thus for FFY 2005, the State determined that reporting all child maltreatment reports as being referred to law enforcement was not accurate and decided against reporting this data element.
The NCANDS category "other" report source includes "clergy," "self," "nonrelated," "public agency," and "out-of-State agency."
Children
The State is currently not able to report child living arrangement, mental retardation caregiver, visually or hearing impaired caregiver, and learning disability caregiver.
The NCANDS "other" maltreatment includes "exploitation—extortion," "exploitation—parasitic relationship," and "exploitation—unexplained disappearance of funds."
Fatalities
FFY 2005 is the first year for which the State has reported fatality data in the Child File.
Perpetrators
The NCANDS category "other" perpetrator relationship includes "sibling's guardian," "nonrelative foster sibling," "reference person," "conservator caregiver," and "surrogate parent."
The State also improved the quality of the perpetrator data. During May 2005, modifications were made to the FACTS application to prevent allegations from being created with incomplete perpetrator information. A new field (alleged perpetrator relationship to alleged victim) was implemented May 2006 and is a required field. All pending investigations at the time of the implementation will require this information.
The NCANDS mapping and coding will be modified to include this new perpetrator relationship field for all alleged victims in a maltreatment report. As a result, the number of perpetrators appears higher and there is a significant variation in the perpetrator data in this submission compared to previous submissions.
Services
In the summer of 2004, New Mexico moved from a family preservation model to an intensive in-home services model. Services provided through intensive in-home services continue to meet the NCANDS definition for family preservation services and are mapped to this data element. There was also a change in the 2005 Children's Code, which requires a Guardian ad Litem (GAL) appointed for all children younger than 14 years and a youth attorney appointed for all children older than 14 years. Prior to this change, all children of any age were appointed Guardians ad Litem.
The State is not able to report home-based services, information and referral services, legal services, respite care services, and "other" services.
Postinvestigation services are defined as services provided to clients during the investigation of a report that continue beyond the report disposition date, or services that begin within 90 days following the report disposition date. Services provided during the investigation that do not continue beyond the report disposition date are considered as specifically related to the investigation and are not included in the FFY 2005 data submission. This latter category of services was included in postinvestigation services in previous data submissions. NCANDS technical assistance has helped the State to define postinvestigation services.
The State has seen an overall increase in the number of children entering foster care during the past 4 years, with the most dramatic increase being noted in FFY 2005. Methamphetamine use and laboratories are noted as a significant precipitator to this increase. Furthermore, coding and mapping changes were made to more accurately report foster care services. As a result, there is a significant variation in the services data in this submission compared to previous NCANDS submissions.
Agency File items 1.1 B (children and families who have received preventive services through the Community-Based Grants for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect Program (CBCAP) : The State understands that there are differences in the definitions of the counts in NCANDS as compared to CBCAP (CBCAP counts number of individuals while NCANDS counts number of children and families). This difference in basic definition of the population served means the numbers counted do not generally correspond between the data collected for NCANDS and CBCAP. Also, the State liaison person provided some general information (like the overall number of students making academic progress) in the CBCAP application, and this number was added into the total CBCAP count, which might have further reduced the count comparability between these two data sets. The State will collaborate between programs and with Federal partners to assure the numbers provided in CBCAP application correspond to the NCANDS data.
Lillian Denton
Director
Bureau of Management Information
New York State Office of Children & Family Services
52 Washington Street, Rm 313 South
Rensselaer, NY 12144-2796
518-474-6947
518-474-4208 Fax
lillian.denton@dfa.state.ny.us
Data File(s) Submitted
Child File, Agency File
Level of Evidence Required
Credible
Reports
The State does not have an official policy for screening out hotline calls. Data elements for NCANDS risk factor fields are not supported completely by the State application at this time.
Perpetrators
For the 2000-2004 data submissions, the code "childcare worker" was mapped to the NCANDS code child daycare provider. Beginning with the FFY 2005 submission, the mapping was corrected to NCANDS code group home or residential facility staff. The result in this submission is an increase in residential facility perpetrators and a reduction in daycare perpetrators.
Services
Data elements for NCANDS services fields are not supported completely by the State application at this time.
Joann Lamm
Chief
Family Support Child Welfare Services Section Division of Social Services
North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
325 North Salisbury Street Mail Service Center 2408
Raleigh, NC 27699-2408
919-733-9467
919-733-6924 Fax
joann.lamm@ncmail.net
Data File(s) Submitted
Child File, Agency File
Level of Evidence Required
Preponderance
Tom Pomonis
Children and Family Services
North Dakota Department of Human Services
600 East Boulevard, 3rd Floor
Bismarck, ND 58505
701-328-3701
701-328-2359 Fax
sopomt@state.nd.us
Data File(s) Submitted
SDC
Level of Evidence Required
Some credible evidence
General
The child neglect and abuse law was amended in 1995 to move from an incident-based investigation method to a service method in which assessments are made of child safety and future risk of harm. The current emphasis is on what services are available to ameliorate any future risk. This approach focuses on identifying and building on the family's capacities and strengths.
The text of the statute, in part, reads: "An assessment is a fact-finding process designed to provide information that enables a determination to be made that services are required to provide for the protection and treatment of an abused or neglected child. The Department of Human Services (DHS) immediately shall initiate an assessment or cause an assessment of any report of child abuse or neglect including, when appropriate, the assessment of the home or residence of the child, any school or child care facility attended by the child, and the circumstances surrounding the report of abuse or neglect. If the report alleges a violation of a criminal statute involving sexual or physical abuse, DHS and an appropriate law enforcement agency shall coordinate the planning and execution of their investigation efforts to avoid a duplication of fact-finding efforts and multiple interviews.
Upon completion of the assessment of the initial report of child abuse or neglect, a decision must be made whether services are required to provide for the protection and treatment of an abused or neglected child. This determination is the responsibility of DHS. Upon a decision that services are required, DHS promptly shall make a written report of the decision to the juvenile court having jurisdiction in the matter. DHS promptly shall file a report of a decision that services are required under this section in the child abuse information index. The Division of Children and Family Services shall maintain a child abuse information index of all reports of decisions that services are required for child abuse, neglect, or death resulting from abuse or neglect." (Excerpted from North Dakota Legislative Code, Chapter 50-25.1)
Reports
The count of reports by report source does not include those contained in a separate Residential Child Abuse and Neglect database.
The State collects response time with respect to the initial investigation in ranges (e.g., 21-40 days). A midpoint for each range was used for the Federal fiscal year 2005 calculation.
Children
The State uses dispositions of "services required" or "no services required." The State maps "services required" dispositions to the NCANDS category of investigations or assessments in which the allegation of maltreatment was substantiated. The "no services required" dispositions are mapped to the NCANDS category children for whom the allegation of maltreatment was not substantiated.
Services
The State only collects data about the type of service offered and is not able to report about whether a service was provided.
Leslie McGee
Section Chief, Protective Services
Ohio Department of Job and Family Services
255 East Main Street, 3rd Floor
Columbus, OH 43215
614-466-9274
614-466-0164 Fax
mcgeel@odjfs.state.oh.us
Data File(s) Submitted
Child File, Agency File
Level of Evidence Required
Credible
Reports
The NCANDS category "other" report sources includes "self (other than victim)" and "other." Data on worker and supervisor are not reported. Data are incomplete due to current Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System (SACWIS) conversion activities.
Children
The NCANDS category "other" child living arrangement includes "independent living." The NCANDS category "other" maltreatment disposition includes "low risk," "low or moderate risk," "moderate risk," "moderate or high risk," and "high risk" allegations. Incident date is not reported. Data are incomplete due to current SACWIS conversion activities.
Perpetrators
The "other" perpetrator relationship category includes "private out of home care participant," "public out of home care participant", "teacher school personnel", "neighbor or friend", "nonrelated adult" and "nonrelated child." Data are incomplete due to current SACWIS conversion activities.
Bill Hindman
Program Administrator
Research & Technology Unit
2400 North Lincoln Boulevard
Oklahoma City, OK 73105
405-522-1968
405-521-4373 Fax
bill.hindman@okdhs.org
Data File(s) Submitted
Child File, Agency File
Level of Evidence Required
Credible
Reports
An assessment is conducted when a report of abuse or neglect does not indicate a serious and immediate threat to the child's health or safety. The assessment is a process of determining the safety needs of the child and engaging the child's family so that family strengths can be enhanced and needs addressed. Assessments have conclusions, not findings, and are mapped to the NCANDS category alternative response nonvictim. An investigation is conducted on a report that constitutes a serious and immediate threat to the child's health and safety.
In prior submissions, the investigation start date was based upon completed face-to-face contact with the child victim. As of FFY 2005, the investigation start date is based upon attempted or completed investigation response time with the following priorities:
The average response time has decreased because of the change to attempted and completed face-to-face contacts. In addition, the number of Priority III referrals has decreased, which decreases the period to respond based on State policy. As of July 2006, the policy will change to only Priority I and II responses.
The State uses the following investigation findings: "Services not needed" a finding or conclusion that there is no identified risk of child abuse or neglect and the family does not need preventive or intervention related services. "Services recommended" the report is determined to be unfounded or there is insufficient information to fully determine whether child abuse or neglect has occurred, and the child and family may benefit from preventive and intervention related services. Services may be provided either by Oklahoma Department of Human Services (OKDHS) or other community resources or providers. "Confirmed services recommended" the report is determined, based upon credible evidence, to constitute child abuse or neglect that is of such a nature that preventive and intervention related services for the person(s) responsible for the child and the child are recommended but initial court intervention is not required. Services may be provided either by OKDHS or other community resources or providers. "Confirmed report court intervention" the report is determined, based upon credible evidence, to constitute child abuse or neglect that is of such a nature that the child's health or safety is threatened. For example, cases that fit the definition of serious abuse or neglect and warrant court intervention to protect the child. "Reasonable parental discipline" the circumstances of the report indicate that a person(s) responsible for the child used ordinary force and age appropriate, reasonable discipline methods that did not result in injury or visible marks on the child. When a finding is made that the report is the result of reasonable parental discipline, the case information is forwarded to Children and Family Services Division CPS Section programs staff for review. "Unable to locate" a finding or conclusion that may be made when every effort has been made to locate the child victim and family. "Failure to cooperate" a finding or conclusion that may be made when the person(s) responsible for the child does not cooperate in an investigation or assessment by refusing to allow access to the child victim for observation and interview.
In previous submissions, abuse in out-of-home care was determined by perpetrator relationship. Reporting then shifted to the "out-of-home" referral designation. Programming now explores both fields to determine incidence of child maltreatment in foster care, which has resulted in more accurate reporting. CPS program managers attribute the increase in the out-of-home care abuse rate to the overall increase in removals.
Children
Previously, prior victims were identified as alleged victims during the reporting year that had a previous substantiated maltreatment during the same reporting year. In the FFY 2005 submission, prior victims are identified as any alleged victim during the reporting year that had a previous substantiated maltreatment anytime back to 1995, the year the SACWIS system was implemented.
Fatalities
The State investigates all reports of child death and near death that may be related to abuse or neglect. Fatalities are not reported in the NCANDS file until the investigation and State office review are completed, which may take up to 12 months and result in out of range reporting. Duplicates may occur when a child attending an unlicensed childcare facility dies. Abuse may be confirmed as to the childcare facility and failure to protect may be confirmed as to the parents. Child fatalities in residential facilities are investigated by a separate unit and not documented in the SACWIS system.
Perpetrators
The State reports all unknown perpetrators. Previously, prior perpetrators were identified as perpetrators of substantiated maltreatments that had a previous substantiated maltreatment that occurred during the reporting year. For FFY 2005, prior perpetrators are identified as perpetrators of a substantiated maltreatment within the reporting year who were a perpetrator in a substantiated maltreatment anytime back to 1995, the year the SACWIS system was implemented.
Services
Postinvestigation services are defined as services that are provided during the investigation and continue after the investigation or services that begin within 90 days of closure of the investigation.
Maria Duryea
Research Analyst
Department of Human Services/Children, Adults and Families
500 Summer Street NE
Salem, OR 97301
503-945-6510
503-581-6198 Fax
maria.duryea@state.or.us
Data File(s) Submitted
SDC
Level of Evidence Required
Reasonable
Reports
The State does not collect data at the child level on referrals. The large increase in reporting by mental health personnel reflects the State's addition of "therapist" as a new type of mental health report source.
Data are reported based on the assessment date. The NCANDS category "other" disposition includes "unable to determine."
Children
The numbers of children with unsubstantiated and "other" dispositions were estimated. The NCANDS category "other" maltreatment type includes "threat of harm."
The NCANDS category unknown sex includes "unborn."
Services
The same child could be removed more than once during the year and associated with different reports; each removal is counted. The State's legacy system does not collect data on preventive services; therefore, it does not currently have NCANDS level reporting on these services.
Susan Stockwell
Human Services Program Specialist
Office of Children, Youth and Families
Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare
P.O. Box 2675
Harrisburg, PA 17105
717-346-9657
717-772-6442 Fax
sstockwell@state.pa.us
Data File(s) Submitted
Child File, Agency File
Level of Evidence Required
Clear and convincing/Beyond reasonable doubt
General
The State does not receive funding through the Child Abuse and Neglect State Grant.
Reports
CPS investigations account for approximately 30 percent of the total reports that are investigated or assessed by the child welfare system. State policy addresses neglect through a general protective service investigation rather than a CPS investigation. These neglect cases are not classified as child abuse.
The definition of abuse includes "(i.) any recent act or failure to act by a perpetrator that causes nonaccidental serious physical injury to a child less than 18 years old; (ii.) an act or failure to act by a perpetrator that causes nonaccidental serious mental injury to or sexual abuse or sexual exploitation of a child less than 18 years old; (iii.) any act or failure to act or series of such acts or failure to act by a perpetrator which creates an imminent risk of serious physical injury to or sexual abuse or sexual exploitation of a child less than 18 years old; (iv.) serious physical neglect by a perpetrator constituting prolonged or repeated lack of supervision or the failure to provide the essentials of life, including adequate medical care, which endangers a child's life or development or impairs the child's functioning."
The State has three levels of report disposition. 1. Founded—a child abuse report with a judicial adjudication based on a finding that a child who is a subject of the report was abused, including the entry of a plea of guilty or nolo contendere or a finding of guilt to a criminal charge involving the same factual circumstances involved in the allegation of child abuse. 2. Indicated—a child abuse report in which it is determined that substantial evidence of the alleged abuse exists based on (a) available medical evidence, (b) the child protective services investigation, and/or (c) an admission of the acts of abuse by the perpetrator. 3. Unfounded—any report that is not founded or indicated. For NCANDS purposes, founded and indicated reports are substantiated and unfounded reports are unsubstantiated.
The State's Child Protective Services Law mandates that upon receipt of a referral of suspected child abuse, the investigating agency shall immediately commence an appropriate investigation and see the child immediately if emergency protective custody is required or has been taken, or if it cannot be determined from the report whether emergency protective custody is needed. Otherwise, the investigating agency shall commence an appropriate investigation and see the child within 24 hours of the receipt of the referral. The county agency, which is responsible for the investigation, documents all contacts with the alleged victim.
The State has a county administered child welfare system in which some counties have caseworkers who specialize in CPS investigations or assessments and other counties have generic caseworkers that perform other child welfare functions in addition to CPS investigations. The reported number of workers is the total number of caseworkers performing any direct child welfare function.
The State does not maintain unique ID's for nonvictims and so provides NCANDS with sequential unique ID's for these children.
Children
The State is not permitted to retain information pertaining to the race and ethnicity of the subjects of a child abuse report in its statewide central register.
The physical abuse and sexual abuse categories include imminent risk of physical and sexual abuse.
Perpetrators
State law defines a perpetrator as a person who has committed child abuse and is a parent of a child, a person responsible for the welfare of a child, an individual residing in the same home as the child (the individual must be 14 years of age or older), or a paramour of a child's parent.
Services
Services data are not known at the State level. The number of children and families who received preventive services funded by a Community-Based Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect Grant was reported as average per month. This was done to avoid counting duplicates. In previous years, it was reported as an approximate per year.
Elsa Rodriguez
Administradora Auxiliar de Proteccion Social
Puerto Rico Department of the Family
San Juan, PR
00910-787-625-4974
erodriguez@adfan.gobierno.pr
Data File(s) Submitted
SDC
David R. Allenson
Programmer/Analyst II Reports and Data Analysis Manager
Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth and Families
101 Friendship Street—MIS Unit 5th Floor
Providence, RI 02903
401-528-3864
401-528-3922 Fax
david.allenson@dcyf.ri.gov
Data File(s) Submitted
Child File, Agency File
Level of Evidence Required
Preponderance
Reports
Only those reports that contain the four criteria listed below are investigated:
A report that contains at least one, but not all four criteria, is considered an "early warning report," and is not investigated.
The Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System RICHIST can link more than one report source per report; however, only one person can be identified as the person who actually makes the report. If more than one report is linked to an investigation, the person identified as the reporter in the first report is used in the Child File.
The number of screening, intake, and investigation or assessment workers is based upon a point-in-time count of full-time equivalents (FTEs) for child protective investigators and child protective supervisors who accept and investigate reports meeting the criteria for investigation and screening. The number of screening and intake workers is based upon a point-in-time count of all FTEs for social caseworkers II and social caseworker supervisors II working in the Intake Unit, who are responsible for screening and intake.
Children
The NCANDS category "other" maltreatment type includes such institutional allegations as "corporal punishment," "other institutional abuse," and "other institutional neglect." In 2004, there was a policy change for investigations of foster children. In the past, all the foster children in the home were reported as victims with a substantiated allegation of neglect even though the incident did not pertain to them. The current policy is that only the named victim has an allegation, and the facility or home is referred to the licensing unit to look at licensing violations rather than child abuse or neglect.
Services
The court-appointed special advocate (CASA) organization provided the average number of out-of-court contacts. This number represents the contacts made by CASA volunteers and does not include Guardians ad Litem. These contacts are made both in person and by phone.
The number of families who received preventive services through the Community Based Grants for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect only include secondary or direct services.
Joanne L. Schaekel
Child Protective Services Program Specialist
Office of Family Preservation and Child Welfare Services
South Carolina Department of Social Services
P.O. Box 1520
Columbia, SC 29202-1520
803-898-731
803-898-7641 Fax
jschaekel@dss.state.sc.us
Data File(s) Submitted
Child File, Agency File
Level of Evidence Required
Preponderance
Reports
Because of a South Carolina Supreme Court ruling and with guidance from the State Attorney General, the Department of Social Services (DSS) accepts referrals on a viable fetus when the mother is alleged to be using illegal substances. A viable fetus is defined as an unborn child 24 weeks or more in fetal development.
When allegations of maltreatment are received by DSS, they are screened for suitability for a child protective services intervention. All reports accepted for investigation must be initiated within 24 hours of receipt of the original referral as a report. Referrals may be pending up to 24 hours to receive additional information. An investigation can be initiated in four ways: successful face-to-face contact with a child, successful face-to-face contact with an adult, successful contact with a third party who knows the condition of the child or initial contact attempted. By State statute, investigations are to be completed within 45 days unless a 15-day extension is granted for compelling reasons. DSS distinguishes between "unfounded situations" by statute as follows:
For NCANDS purposes, referrals reflecting information not taken for investigation are reported as screened out, rather than as part of the "unfounded population." The automated system also collects data on investigations unfounded because of actions due to parental good conscience. Investigations that are unfounded because the family fled can be reopened for another 45-day investigation without requiring a new referral, once the family is relocated.
Children
Children for child protection purposes are defined as individuals up until their 18th birthday. In certain circumstances, a child may also be a viable fetus 24 weeks or more in fetal development. By State statute and policy, DSS must assess the safety and risk to all children in the home during an investigation. Consistent with that logic, if an investigation is indicated (substantiated), the Treatment Plan must consider all children in the home, even if they are not identified as victims.
Fatalities
The number of child deaths due to child maltreatment represents investigations conducted jointly between DSS and Law Enforcement or by Law Enforcement alone. The South Carolina Code of Laws does not require that DSS conduct an investigation unless there are surviving siblings. The number of children reported as being investigated by outside agencies are the result of a yearly reconciliation that takes place with the Child Fatality Section of the State Law Enforcement Division to ensure that children reported to NCANDS meet the statutory definitions for child maltreatment, rather than the broader definition associated with the South Carolina Criminal Statute of Homicide by Child Abuse. For inclusion in FFY 2005 reporting, the State continues to use the case determination date for children included in the Child File. For children who were identified by outside agencies but not included in the Child File, the child's date of death is used. For FFY 2005, the increase in child deaths related to maltreatment was due to:
Services
DSS does not maintain any automated data on the frequency of contact between court-appointed special advocates and children. These advocates are appointed primarily from certified individuals associated with the South Carolina Guardian ad Litem Program, which is not part of DSS. At least one Judicial District primarily appoints Advocates who are also Attorneys.
Perpetrators
By State Statue, a perpetrator is defined as an adult. While this is usually a person age 18 or older, a minor can be a perpetrator when the maltreatment involves their biological child. A person under age 18 is also considered an adult when they are legally married. State Statute permits a finding of child abuse and neglect without a named perpetrator. However, if a specific perpetrator is identified as having sexually or physically abused a child (excepting excessive corporal punishment), a Family Court Judicial Review is required to determine if the person should be entered in the Central Registry. Reviews can also be sought when neglectful behavior is so extreme that the perpetrator's capacity to care for other children should be limited. Placement in the Central Registry can result in the following:
Mary Livermont
Program Specialist
Child Protection Services
Department of Social Services
700 Governors Drive
Pierre, SD 57501
605-773-3227
605-773-6834 Fax
mary.livermont@state.sd.us
Data File(s) Submitted
Child File, Agency File
Level of Evidence Required
Preponderance
Reports
There are 104 CPS staff members in the field who carry out the responsibility of intake, screening, and investigation. South Dakota Child Protection Services has become more specialized in intake and investigation. Even some of the smaller offices are now assigning the investigation process to be completed by a specific worker(s). In the past, there had been more workers assigned to investigations than is currently. The larger offices have specific investigation units. In prior years, when reporting the number of individuals completing the intake, screening, and investigation tasks, it was more of an estimate because there would be overlap from social workers doing case management and investigations. Also in prior years, the State reported some of the high-level management completing screening because they will screen as backup. These staff are no longer included in this number. The reported number only includes intake specialists, screeners, supervisors, and initial family assessment social workers (investigators).
Start date for an investigation is the date the report is provided to an intake specialist. Initial contact with the victim is to be made in accordance with the Screening Guideline and Response Decision. The response decision is related to whether the report information indicates immediate danger (immediate response), foreseeable danger (same day to 72 hours), risk and child is 0-6 years old or cannot protect self (within 7 calendar days from the date of the report), risk and child is 7-18 years old and there is indication that the child can self-protect (within 14 calendar days from the date of the report), or immediate or foreseeable danger or risk and the perpetrator does not have access to child. A referral is screened out if it does not meet the criteria in the Screening Guideline and Response Decision Tool. The Screening Guideline and Response Decision was implemented statewide during July 2004. The guideline has improved workers' response time and initial contact. The State implemented a policy for periods related to submitting referrals to supervisors or screeners for screening. This has also helped to improve the timeliness of agency contact with child. These new policies and procedures were implemented in conjunction with the State's Program Improvement Plan.
The NCANDS category "other" report source includes "clergy," "community person," "coroner," "shelter employee or volunteer," "funeral director," and "other state agency, public official, and tribal official."
Children
The data reported in the Child File include children who were victims of substantiated reports of child abuse and neglect in which the perpetrator is the parent, guardian, or custodian. Prior to January 1, 2004, the term victim also included children involved in investigations whose outcome was indicated. This disposition category was deleted because the Initial Family Assessment addresses indicated cases through the safety evaluation process. Therefore, because of deleting the indicated category, the child victim data have been lower in the last several report periods than in prior years.
A policy regarding referrals received regarding a new incident of maltreatment within 45 days of a previous assigned report may be screened out as "screen out/initial family assessment pending." The findings from this report are included on the disposition findings on the first report as "additional findings." The policy also includes a referral received on the same incident as the previous assigned report, which can be screened out, and it is marked as a duplicate in the Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System called FACIS. This policy affected the total number of investigations assigned.
To substantiate an allegation, the social worker must decide that it is more likely than not that child abuse or neglect occurred—a preponderance of the evidence. There must also be an application of one or more of the subsections of the State statute definition of child abuse and neglect. The statute definitions are listed below.
Fatalities
Child fatalities include children who died due to substantiated child abuse and neglect by their parent, guardian, or custodian. The number reported each year are those victims involved in a report disposed during the report period, even if their date of death may have actually been in the previous year.
Perpetrators
Perpetrators of child abuse and neglect are parents, guardians, or custodians. The State information system designates one perpetrator per child per allegation.
Services
Most postinvestigation services are not reported. This is the first year that the State has reported foster care services.
The Agency File data include services provided to children and families funded from the Community Based Family Resource and Support Grant. Those served primarily include individuals who received benefit from parenting education classes.
Petrina L. Jones-Jesz
Assistant Statistical Director, Research & Development
Tennessee Department of Children's Services
Cordell Hull Bldg.
436 Sixth Avenue North
Nashville, TN 37243
615-532-7877
615-251-9532 Fax
petrina.jones-jesz@state.tn.us
Data File(s) Submitted
Child File, Agency File
Level of Evidence Required
Material evidence
Reports
Child protective services (CPS) referrals are processed through one of 12 central intake offices located in each of the State's 12 regions. Screeners evaluate the referral to determine if it should be forwarded as a full CPS investigation. Central intake then assigns these investigations a priority level (1, 2, or 3) and assigns them to the appropriate region and county. Current State policy requires CPS case managers to take action by the same day, the end of the next day, or within 5 days for priorities 1, 2, & 3, respectively.
Fatalities
Only deaths associated with a CPS investigation are reported to NCANDS.
Perpetrators
The State has recently gained the ability to track perpetrator and victim relationships. The numbers currently available may not accurately reflect true data trends until more recent investigations containing these data are the majority of the latest data submission.
Services
Other than foster care custody and court-appointed representatives, the State does not have a method for recording CPS investigations and services provided by State agencies.
Donna Marler
IMPACT Program Manager
Information and Technology
Department of Family and Protective Services
8100 Cameron Road, Agency Mail Code Y960
Austin, TX 78754
512-834-3758
512-339-5816
donna.marler@dfps.state.tx.us
Data File(s) Submitted
Child File, Agency File
Level of Evidence Required
Preponderance
Reports
In some instances, the worker will begin an investigation on a family in an open child protective services (CPS) case in which maltreatment is suspected. There are also instances in which workers begin their investigations when families and children are brought to or walk in to an office or 24- hour shelter. In both situations, the worker would then report the maltreatment incident after the first face-to-face contact initializing the investigation was made. Because the report date is recorded as the date the suspected maltreatment is reported to CPS, these situations would result in the report date following the investigation start date.
The State CPS schema regarding disposition hierarchy differs from the NCANDS disposition hierarchy. Texas has "other" and "closed—no finding" codes as superseding "unsubstantiated" at the report level. The State works on the principle that the two ends of the disposition spectrum are "founded" and "unfounded," with all else is in the middle. NCANDS takes a slightly different view that the two "sure" points are "founded" and "unfounded" and everything else is less than either of these two points.
The State hierarchy for overall disposition is, from highest to lowest, "RTB—reason to believe," "UTD—unable to determine,""UTC—unable to complete," and "R/O—ruled out." Mapping for NCANDS reporting is RTB=01, UTD=88, UTC=07, and R/O=05. Analyses on sample cases from the Report Disposition Hierarchy report revealed that this inconsistency occurs in investigations where there are multiple alleged victims and one has a maltreatment disposition of UTD while the other has a maltreatment disposition of R/O. According to the State's hierarchy, the overall disposition for these investigations is UTD. Mapping the report disposition to unsubstantiated as indicated in the Report Disposition Hierarchy report would be inconsistent with the State's policy. These situations result in 5 percent of report disposition hierarchy errors in the Federal fiscal year 2005 data.
Incident date data are not collected. There is no CPS program requirement or State requirement to capture incident date so there is no data field for this information.
Children
Cultural awareness has risen, possibly as a result of the State's work around disproportionality. As a result, workers are entering race data more accurately and choosing multiple categories more often.
The State is able to provide data on living arrangement only for children in substitute care at the time of the maltreatment incident or those investigated in a State operated or contracted setting that serves adults and children.
Perpetrators
Currently the State's relationship code for foster parents does not distinguish between relative and nonrelative.
Services
Postinvestigation services include services that began or continued for the child or the child's family because of the CPS response to the reported allegations. The State is not able to collect data on juvenile petitions and court-appointed representatives. This is because juvenile petitions are not filed in the State and court-appointed representatives data are not a required data element in the Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System, and therefore, the data are rarely entered.
Navina Forsythe
Supervisor Data & Research Unit, SAFE Helpdesk
Division of Child and Family Services
120 North 200 West #225
Salt Lake City, UT 84103
801-538-4045
801-538-3993 Fax
nforsythe@utah.gov
Data File(s) Submitted
Child File, Agency File
Level of Evidence Required
Reasonable
Reports
During 2004, the State initiated an alternative response pilot program for minor cases of child witnesses of domestic violence. For the 2005 data submission period, this increased the number of alternative response children and decreased the number of emotional maltreatment cases.
The investigation start date is defined as the date a child is first seen by child protective services (CPS). It this is not possible, the State records the date CPS initially contacted any party who could provide information essential to the investigation or assessment as the investigation start date. The data are captured in date, hours, and minutes.
A referral is screened out in situations including, but not limited to, any of the following:
Children
State law defines domestic violence in the presence of a child as abuse. This allegation represents approximately 30 percent of all substantiated cases. This category is mapped to emotional abuse in NCANDS, which accounts for the large volume of emotional abuse.
The State uses the following findings: "Supported" a finding, based on the information available to the worker at the end of the investigation, that there is a reasonable basis to conclude that abuse, neglect, or dependency occurred, and that the identified perpetrator is responsible. "Unsupported" a finding based on the information available to the worker at the end of the investigation that there was insufficient information to conclude that abuse, neglect, or dependency occurred. A finding of unsupported means that the worker was unable to make a positive determination that the allegation was actually without merit. "Without merit" an affirmative finding at the completion of the investigation that the alleged abuse, neglect, or dependency did not occur, or that the alleged perpetrator was not responsible. "Unable to locate" a category indicating that even though the child protective services worker followed the steps outlined in the practice guideline and made reasonable efforts, the worker was unable to make face-to-face contact with the alleged victims to investigate an allegation of abuse, neglect, or dependency and to make a determination of whether the allegation should be classified as "supported," "nonsupported," or "without merit."
Fatalities
All maltreatment fatalities that are reported to CPS are included in the Child File. The State reported 10 fatalities in FFY 2004 and 10 fatalities in FFY 2005.
Services
The increase in the number of recipients of preventive services funded by the Community-Based Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect Grant is due to better reporting from agencies. The decrease in the number of recipients of preventive services funded by the Promoting Safe and Stable Families Program is due to incomplete reporting by agencies.
Postinvestigation services include those services provided by the division or connections and referrals to community services that were set up for the family.
The decrease in the number of children receiving foster care services reflects a change in programming to report only those who enter foster care due to a CPS removal.
Richard DiMatteo
Systems Developer III
Information Services Division
Department for Children and Families
Vermont Agency of Human Services
103 South Main Street
Waterbury, VT 05671-2401
802-241-2107
802-241-2407 Fax
rdimatteo@srs.state.vt.us
Data File(s) Submitted
Child File, Agency File
Level of Evidence Required
Reasonable
Reports
The Family Services Division of the Vermont Department for Children and Families is responsible for investigating allegations of child abuse or neglect by caretakers and sexual abuse by any person. The department investigates "risk of physical harm" and "risk of sexual abuse." These are mapped to NCANDS terms physical abuse and sexual abuse, respectively.
Perpetrators
The State collects both relative and nonrelative foster parent information as it relates to the placement of children. For abuse information, however, there is an option of foster home or relative, but not relative foster home. If a relative foster parent is the perpetrator, the NCANDS code other relative is used.
Services
The number of recipients of "other" preventive services is a duplicated count of recipients of at-risk childcare, intensive family-based services, and parent education programs.
John Vaughn
Acting Assistant Director
Division of Family Services
Virginia Department of Social Services
7 North Eighth Street, 4th floor
Richmond, VA 23219
804-726-7645
804-726-7895
john.vaughn@dss.virginia.gov
Data File(s) Submitted
Child File, Agency File
Level of Evidence Required
Preponderance
Reports
An alternative response system was implemented statewide beginning May 2002. Reports placed in the investigation track receive a disposition of "founded" (substantiated) or "unfounded" (unsubstantiated) for each maltreatment allegation. Reports placed in the family assessment track receive a family assessment; no determination is made as to whether or not maltreatment actually occurred. The report disposition for family assessments is coded as "other" in the Child File.
The investigation start date in the Child File is defined as the first completed face-to-face contact with any alleged victim or, if none, the "first meaningful contact." The "first meaningful contact" is identified by the worker as a contact that provides information regarding whether or not the abuse or neglect occurred or regarding child safety and immediate family service needs. The information system captures time to the minute. However, due to data entry issues that make the dates and times unreliable, response time is not reported in the Agency File. The data are improving because of system edits and worker training. Periodic management reports to help address this issue are being developed.
Children
The Department of Social Services continues to improve its use of identifiers. Every time a new report is entered in the State's information system, the system assigns each person in the report a new identification number. Workers are instructed to search the database for identical children and to employ a merge function to give them a single identification number. This is not done consistently, affecting the count of unique victims and measures of maltreatment recurrence. While risk factor data can be recorded for any child, risk factors are not always documented. A new module for postinvestigation in-home services was added to the information system in July 2004, increasing the opportunity to document risk factors.
The NCANDS category "other" maltreatment type includes those maltreatment allegation types that are not covered in the State's child abuse and neglect law. The NCANDS category "other" disposition type includes Disposition levels for all allegations in the family assessment track that are coded as "other." The increase in the number of children with no alleged maltreatments is due to siblings of alleged victims in family assessment reports.
Fatalities
All fatalities are reported in the Agency File. A change was made to the information system that will allow reporting through the Child File next year.
Perpetrators
Issues described for victims regarding unique identification numbers and risk factor data apply to perpetrators as well.
Services
Children should be placed into foster care by a juvenile court in response to a request made through a juvenile petition. In the majority of cases, the petition should have been filed prior to placing the child into foster care, at which point the court may have already appointed a Guardian ad Litem, or court representative, to the case. However, in some circumstances, the child may be placed into foster care without a prior juvenile petition before the court if it is found that emergency removal is in the child's best interest and there is no less drastic alternative available than immediately placing the child into foster care.
Cynthia Ellingson
Program Manager
Children's Administration
Washington Department of Social and Health Services
P.O. Box 45710
14th and Jefferson Street, OB-2
Olympia, WA 98504-5710
360-902-7929
360-902-7903 Fax
elcy300@dshs.wa.gov
Data File(s) Submitted
Child File, Agency File
Level of Evidence Required
Preponderance
Reports
Of the Federal fiscal year (FFY) 2005 referrals that were screened in, some were assessed as needing a "high standard of investigation" (face-to-face contact with the victim) and some were assessed as "families in need of services."
The Child Protective Services Washington Administrative Code was implemented early in 2003. The code reduced the types of child abuse or neglect on child protective services (CPS) referrals from 11 to 5 types: sex abuse, physical abuse, physical neglect, sex exploitation, and abandonment.
Dispositions of referrals are reported based on findings of the alleged victims reported in "high standard of investigation" referrals. A report is substantiated if any alleged victim with any child abuse or neglect was founded; the referral is reported unsubstantiated if all alleged child abuse or neglect was unfounded. The NCANDS category "other" disposition includes the number of reports that resulted in inconclusive investigations. Referrals that have been determined to be of low risk are reported as alternative response nonvictim.
The response time is the time from which the referral was taken and a social worker has face-to-face contact with the victim. For approximately 79 percent of the referrals assessed as needing a "high standard of investigation," the child was seen within 10 working days of the referral. Ten days is the State agency program standard.
Children
Dispositions of the alleged victims reported in "high standard of investigation" referrals are based on findings. An alleged victim is substantiated if any of the alleged child abuse or neglect was founded; the alleged victim is reported as unsubstantiated if all alleged child abuse or neglect identified was unfounded. The NCANDS category "other" dispositions includes the number of children in inconclusive investigations. The State implemented mandatory risk assessment training for new intake and CPS staff and has offered additional training for the experienced social worker during the past year. The focus of these trainings has been on chronically referred families and allegations of neglect. This specialized training has provided the social workers with skills needed to identify the facts of the incident and relate these facts to the definition of child abuse, which has increased the number of children found as victims.
Fatalities
The Children's Administration reviews all child fatalities to determine if the death was a result of abuse and neglect.
Services
Families received preventive services from the following sources: Community Networks, CPS Child Care, Family Reconciliation Services, Family Preservation, and Intensive Family Preservation Services. The Community-Based Family Resource and Support Grant value is estimated from community programs.
The department opens a case for services at the time a CPS referral is screened-in. The automated information system does not distinguish between services provided for the purpose of the investigation and services during the investigation, which are for the purpose of supporting the family or reducing the risk present in the family. By policy, investigations are to be completed within 90 days of the referral. On average, court appointed representatives spent 38 hours with a client.
The State reported an increase of more than 30 percent of victims younger than 1 year for FFY 2005. The most vulnerable youth need to be placed before a safety plan is established resulting in a significant increase in the number of children placed in out-of-home care.
Tom Strawderman
Program Manager II, Resource & Development
Bureau for Children and Families
Department of Health and Human Resources
350 Capitol Street, Room 730
Charleston, WV 25301-3711
304-558-7980
304-558-8800 Fax
tstrawderman@wvdhhr.org
Data File(s) Submitted
Child File, Agency File
Reports
Investigation date is the date when CPS first had face-to-face contact with the alleged victim of child maltreatment or attempted to have face-to-face contact. If this face-to-face contact is not attempted or completed, the date would be when CPS initially contacted any party who could provide information essential to the investigation or assessment.
The NCANDS category "other" report sources includes "clergy. " The NCANDS category "other" dispositions includes "client moved or unable to locate," "duplicate entry of data," "client refused to cooperate," and "worker unable to complete."
Children
The NCANDS category "other" maltreatment type includes "caretaker or child alcohol and drug use" and "refusal to obtain psychiatric attention," "risk of maltreatment," and "no risk of maltreatment."
Perpetrators
The NCANDS category "other" perpetrator relationship includes "custodian (legal)," "father (putative)," and "no relationship."
Services
Data on preventive services are not available.
John Tuohy
Director
Office of Policy, Evaluation, and Planning
Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services
1 West Wilson Street
Madison, WI 53708
608-267-3832
608-267-6836
tuohyj@dhfs.state.wi.us
Data File(s) Submitted:
Child File, Agency File
Level of Evidence Required:
Preponderance
Reports
The State data is child-based where each report is associated with a single child. The report date refers to the date when the agency was notified of the alleged maltreatment and the investigation begin date refers to the date when the agency made initial contact with the child or other member of the family. Screen-out reports are those reports where the information provided does not constitute potential maltreatment of a child or risk of maltreatment of a child.
The NCANDS category "other" maltreatment type refers to those instances when the child was not alleged or found to have been maltreated, but was alleged or found to be at risk of maltreatment.
Children
A child is considered to be a victim when an allegation is substantiated or when the child is found to be at risk of maltreatment. The NCANDS category "other" disposition for alleged victims includes children who are subjects of reports with a disposition where the critical sources of information cannot be found or accessed to determine whether or not maltreatment as alleged occurred.
Perpetrators
Perpetrators and perpetrator detail is included for allegations where the child was substantiated or found to be at risk of maltreatment. The NCANDS category "other" perpetrator relationship includes perpetrators who are not primary or secondary caregivers to the child, such as another child or a peer to the child victim, school personnel, a stranger, or a family friend.
Fatalities
The count of fatalities includes only those children who were subjects of reports of abuse or neglect in which the maltreatment allegation was substantiated.
Services
The State's Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System is currently being enhanced to better facilitate the assessment and case planning process and to ensure greater consistency in service reporting. The State will review how to modify the NCANDS file to incorporate service reporting for future data submissions.
Debra Hibbard
Child Protection Consultant
Wyoming Department of Family Services
130 Hobbs Avenue
Cheyenne, WY 82001
307-777-5479
307-777-3693 Fax
dhibba@state.wy.us
Data File(s) Submitted
Child File, Agency File
Level of Evidence Required
Credible
Reports
The State uses first face-to-face contact with an alleged child victim to determine incident date. The date the report is made to the office is used to determine the actual date. Dates and number of days are the smallest units of time measure kept by the State's data system. The incident start date is the date when the data are entered into the system and the case becomes an incident.
Perpetrators
Data were generally not available for perpetrators or perpetrator characteristics. Future work is planned on improving data collection and extraction procedures in this area.
1 State terms are displayed within quotation marks. With the exception of the NCANDS term "other," NCANDS terms are not displayed within quotations. back
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