National Study of Child Protective
Services Systems and Reform Efforts

Findings on Local CPS Practices

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Children's Bureau
Administration on Children, Youth and Families
Administration for Children and Families

and
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation

May 2003

This report is available on the Internet at:
http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/cps-status03/cps-practices03

Executive Summary

Chapters

Introduction
Agency Administration and Staffing
Screening and Intake
Investigation and Alternative Response Practices
Collaboration with Other Agencies
Changes in Practice
Differences Among Agencies by Administrative Structure
Examples of Change Based on Site Visits to Local Agencies
Conclusions

Appendix A--Methodology

Tables

Table 2-1 National Coverage of CPS Agencies
Table 2-2 CPS Agency Staff
Table 2-3 Educational Level of Staff
Table 2-4 Staff Vacancies
Table 2-5 Screening and Intake Staff Assignments
Table 2-6 Investigation Staff Assignments
Table 2-7 Assignments Across Intake and Investigation
Table 2-8 Alternative Response Staff Assignments
Table 2-9 Assignments Across Intake and Alternative Response
Table 2-10 Assignments Across Investigation and Alternative Response
Table 2-11 Volume of Work Per Month
Table 2-12 Workload Concerns
Table 2-13 Subset of Agencies Indicating Only One CPS Function Where Excessive Workload is a Concern
Table 2-14 Provision for Followup Services
Table 2-15 Services by CPS Agencies
Table 2-16 Timeframe for Providing Services
Table 2-17 Worker Roles in Providing Services
Table 2-18 Priority Arrangements with Service Providers
Table 3-1 Common Referral Sources
Table 3-2 Automatic Acceptance of Referrals
Table 3-3 Acceptance of Referrals During Nonbusiness Hours
Table 3-4 Acceptance of Referrals from Non-English Speakers
Table 3-5 Screening and Intake of Written Referrals
Table 3-6 Screening and Intake Agency
Table 3-7 Response Options for Screened-Out Referrals
Table 3-8 Response Options for Types of Screened-In Referrals
Table 3-9 Screening Activities
Table 3-10 Receipt of State Hotline Referrals
Table 3-11 Response to State Hotline Recommendations
Table 3-12 Assigning Priority Status to State Hotline Recommendations
Table 4-1 Type of CPS Agency Responses
Table 4-2 Standard Practices--Investigation
Table 4-3 Standard Practices--Alternative Response
Table 4-4 Scope of Response
Table 4-5 Child(ren) Considered for Determination
Table 4-6 Factors Considered in Making Determination as Result of Investigation
Table 4-7 Procedures in Concluding Investigation
Table 4-8 Procedures in Concluding Alternative Response
Table 4-9 Cases Not Completed Within Required Timeframe
Table 4-10 Investigation Activities
Table 4-11 Alternative Response Activities
Table 4-12 Instruments and Tools--Investigation
Table 4-13 Instruments and Tools--Alternative Response
Table 4-14 Professionals and Group Assistance--Investigation
Table 4-15 Professionals and Group Assistance--Alternative Response
Table 4-16 Assigned Worker by Referral Type
Table 4-17 Who Makes Final Maltreatment Determination During Investigation Response
Table 4-18 Who Makes Final Services Determination During Alternative Response
Table 4-19 Obstacles to Timely Completion--Investigation
Table 4-20 Obstacles to Timely Completion--Alternative Response
Table 4-21 Procedures for Ensuring Worker Safety
Table 5-1 Overall Level of Responsibility for Different CPS Functions
Table 5-2 Responsibility for Screening and Intake by Maltreatment Type
Table 5-3 Responsibility for Investigation by Maltreatment Type
Table 5-4 Responsibility for Alternative Response by Maltreatment Type
Table 5-5 CPS Agency Involvement with Law Enforcement and Other Agencies for Different Types of Maltreatment
Table 5-6 Responsibility for Investigation by Perpetrator Type
Table 5-7 Responsibility for Alternative Response by Perpetrator Type
Table 5-8 CPS Agency Involvement with Law Enforcement and Other Agencies for Different Types of Perpetrators
Table 6-1 Length of Time Current Processes in Place
Table 6-2 Number of Changes Implemented in Last 6 Months
Table 6-3 Number of Changes Considered in Last 6 Months
Table 6-4 Changes in CPS Organization
Table 6-5 Changes in Community Partnerships
Table 6-6 Changes in Screening and Intake
Table 6-7 Changes in Investigation Response
Table 6-8 Changes in Alternative Response
Table 7-1 Investigation Staff by Agency Structure
Table 7-2 Screening/Intake and Investigation by Agency Structure
Table 7-3 Screening/Intake and Alternative Response by Agency Structure
Table 7-4 Services by Agency Structure
Table 7-5 Timeframe for Investigation Services by Agency Structure
Table 7-6 Priority Status Arrangements for Alternative Response
Table 7-7 Screening and Intake of Referrals During Nonbusiness Hours
Table 7-8 Screening and Intake of Referrals from Non-English Speakers
Table 7-9 Automatic Acceptance of Referrals
Table 7-10 Automatic Acceptance of Referrals from Another Agency
Table 7-11 Screening and Intake Agency
Table 7-12 CPS Agencies that Always Conducted Screening Activities
Table 7-13 Receipt of Referrals from State Hotline
Table 7-14 Response to State Hotline Recommendations
Table 7-15 Scope of Investigation Response
Table 7-16 CPS Agencies that Always Conducted Procedures When Concluding Investigation
Table 7-17 CPS Agencies that Always Conducted Investigation Activity
Table 7-18 CPS Agency Use of Standardized Domestic Violence Assessment Instruments During Investigations
Table 7-19 CPS Agencies that Always Used Professional and Group Assistance During Investigations
Table 7-20 CPS Agencies that Rarely Had Obstacles to Timely Completion of Investigation
Table 7-21 CPS Agencies that were Required to Conduct Practice Before Completing Alternative Response
Table 7-22 CPS Agencies that Always Conducted Procedure When Concluding Alternative Response
Table 7-23 CPS Agencies that Always Conducted Alternative Response Activity
Table 7-24 CPS Agencies that Always Used Instruments or Tools During Alternative Response
Table 7-25 CPS Agencies that Always Used Professional and Group Assistance During Alternative Response
Table 7-26 Overall Level of Responsibility for Screening and Intake
Table 7-27 Overall Level of Responsibility for the Investigation Function
Table 7-28 CPS Agencies with Lead Responsibility for Investigation by Maltreatment Type
Table 7-29 CPS Agencies that Shared Lead Responsibility with Law Enforcement by Maltreatment Type
Table 7-30 CPS Agencies with Lead Responsibility for Investigation by Perpetrator Type
Table 7-31 Percentage of CPS Agencies that Share Lead Responsibility for Non-Caregiver Perpetrators with Law Enforcement
Table 7-32 Percentage of CPS Agencies that Share Lead Responsibility for Institutional Perpetrators with Other, Nonlaw Enforcement Agencies
Table 7-33 Length of Time Current Process in Place
Table 7-34 Percentage of CPS Agencies that Had Implemented Changes
Table 7-35 Percentage of CPS Agencies that Had Considered Changes
Table 8-1 Summary of Site Reforms
Table A-1 Census Regions
Table A-2 National Distribution of Counties
Table A-3 Target and Field Sample Sizes
Table A-4 County-Based Weights
Table A-5 Distribution of Multiplicity Factors
Table A-6 Example of Agency Records in the Combined File
Table A-7 Frequency Distribution of the Agency Dispositions
Table A-8 Total Agency Sample by Response Status and Urbanicity/Administration Type
Table A-9 Nonresponse Adjustment Factors by Sampling Stratum
Table A-10 Summary of Replicate Creation
Table A-11 Results of Chi-Square (X²) Analysis for Income and Administrative Structure

Background and Acknowledgements

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Last updated: 07/31/03

National Study of Child Protective Services Systems and Reform Efforts

Findings on Local CPS Practices

Contents

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National Study of Child Protective
Services Systems and Reform Efforts