Child Welfare Services provides protection for children who are at risk of, or are experiencing neglect, physical, sexual, or emotional abuse. The focus is on the safety of the child and support for parents to strengthen families and promote safe nurturing homes for children.
- Screen and investigate reports of abuse, neglect, or harm
- Assess for child safety and risk
- Refer families to community providers or to Dependency Court for support
- Provide Family Reunification services to families whose children have been removed from the home
- Provide Family Maintenance services for families whose children are able to remain safely at home, to help them exit the child welfare system
Permanency
- Provide out of home placement and permanency planning through adoption, legal guardianship, longer-term placements when necessary
- Provide Fostering Connections to Success program for transition age youth as they prepare to transition into adulthood
Supportive Service
- Identify and engage relatives to help maintain family connections during child placement
- Locate parents whose whereabouts are unknown
- Assist prospective foster and adoptive families through the Resource Family Approval process
- Help identify placements to support each youth’s needs while in out of home care
- Provide children and families a voice in the child welfare decision-making process
- Help children and families in child welfare to build a support system