Introduction to Child Protective Services

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Introduction to Child Protective Services

• Created by the Western Wisconsin Child Welfare
  Training Partnership
• University of Wisconsin-River Falls

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• The most important job of a parent is to keep
  their children safe.

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• Child Protective Services
• (CPS) has a unique role

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The work of child protection is very specifically
defined.
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Purpose of This Module
Purpose
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Wisconsins Childrens Code

• 48.01(a) . . . the paramount goal of this
  chapter is to protect children and unborn
  children, to preserve the unity of the family,
  whenever appropriate, by strengthening family
  life through assisting parents and the expectant
  mothers of unborn children, whenever appropriate,
  in fulfilling their responsibilities as parents
  or expectant mothers.

Link to Childrens Code
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When Can CPS Intervene?

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When CPS can Intervene

• Physical Abuse
• physical injury inflicted on a child by other
  than accidental means. 48.02(1)(a)
• Includes but is not limited to lacerations,
  fractured bones, burns, internal injuries, severe
  or frequent bruising or great bodily harm, as
  defined in s. 939.22(14). 48.02(14)(g)
• . . . Serious physical harm to unborn child, and
  risk of harm to the child when born. . . .
  48.02(1)(am)

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When CPS can Intervene

• Neglect
• failure, refusal or inability on the part of a
  caregiver, for reasons other than poverty, to
  provide necessary care, food, clothing, medical
  or dental care or shelter so as to seriously
  endanger the physical health of the child.
  48.981(1)(d)

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When CPS can Intervene

• Emotional abuse
• Emotional damage for which the child's
  parent, guardian or legal custodian has
  neglected, refused or been unable for reasons
  other than poverty to obtain the necessary
  treatment or to take steps to ameliorate the
  symptoms. 48.02(1)(gm)

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Permanence
Paired Hummingbirds Native American symbol for
permanence
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We Share Responsibility
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Danger
Threat
Safe
Vocabulary
Unsafe
Protection
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Child Safety
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• Children are safe when
• They are not exposed to danger.
• OR
• Even if there are dangers to them, their parents
  or caregivers protect them from those dangers.

Safe
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Parental Protective Capacity allows the parent or
caregiver to

• Keep from harming the child himself or herself
• Consistently meet the childs needs
• Keep the child safe from others inside and
  outside the family
• Keep the child safe from dangers in the
  environment

Parental Protective Capacity
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With very rare exception, all parents have some
Protective Capacities!

• It is the CPS Professionals job to
• Find protective capacities
• Voice them
• Build on existing protective capacities

Parental Protective Capacity
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Now lets talk about what it looks like when
children areUNSAFE
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• Unsafe
• Children are unsafe when
• They are exposed to dangers
• AND
• Their parents or caregivers are unwilling or
  unable to protect them from those dangers.

• Safe
• Children are safe when
• They are not exposed to any dangers
• OR
• Even if there are dangers to them, their parents
  or caregivers protect them from those dangers.

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• Unsafe
• Children are unsafe when
• They are exposed to dangers
• AND
• Their parent or caregivers Parental Protective
  Capacity is insufficient to assure the child is
  shielded from danger.

• Safe
• Children are safe when
• They are not exposed to any dangers
• OR
• Their parent or caregiver demonstrates sufficient
  Parental Protective Capacity to shield the child
  from any danger.

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Now and in the foreseeable future
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A Child is Unsafe Now
Unsafe Now
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Unsafe Now
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Taking Action
Unsafe Now
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Examples of Strategies

• Having a responsible adult move into the home
• Making voluntary arrangements for the child to go
  and stay with a responsible adult
• Requiring the maltreating caregiver in a sexual
  abuse case leave the home and the non-maltreating
  caregiver has strong protective capacities
• Having a medical professional administer needed
  medication
• Taking the child into temporary physical custody.

Unsafe Now
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A child is not safe for the foreseeable future
Unsafe in Foreseeable Future
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Safety Threshold Criteria

• Observable and Specific
• Vulnerable Child
• Out-of-control
• Imminent
• Severe harm

Unsafe in Foreseeable Future
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Working with the Family

• Working in partnership
• Using family resources

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Ties to our own families are very powerful.
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• Did you think of these things
• Maybe their siblings
• Their pets
• Their toys, bed, favorite blanket
• Their neighbors
• Maybe their school

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Separation from persons to whom we are closely
attached is always experienced as a loss.
2-25
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Attachment

• An active, affectionate, reciprocal, and enduring
  relationship between two people.

(Papalia and Olds, 1996, p. 272)
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The Process
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The Process
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The Process
Initial Assessment
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The Process
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The Process
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Conclusion
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Resources

• There is an excellent web-training by the
  Division of Children and Family Services for
  mandated reporters at http//www.wcwts.wisc.edu/M
  andatedReporterTraining.aspx
• If you want a link to the Childrens Code and to
  the state standards that define CPS, go to
  http//www.wcwts.wisc.edu/preservice/resources.htm
  
• If you would like a more in-depth introduction to
  CPS, you are welcome to go to their web-based
  pre-service training at http//www.wcwts.wisc.edu/
  preservice/. This training is available to
  anyone and includes modules on topics like
  engaging families and human development that will
  be useful to anyone working with children and
  their families.