Resources

Waldfogel, J. (1998, Spring). Rethinking the paradigm for child protection. The Future of Children, 8(1), 104-119. 

This critique of child protective services (CPS) explicitly draws on the work of a task force called the Harvard Executive Session, which met from 1994 to 1997 and was composed of child welfare administrators, practitioners, policymakers and experts. In it, the author outlines the decision-making process for CPS reports, and discusses the problems with this traditional approach as identified by the task force. The new paradigm described in the article includes differential response, using the experience of Florida, Iowa and Missouri as examples. Other program histories, descriptions and select evaluation data are also presented. The article concludes with a discussion of the challenges of developing a differential response. Overinclusion and underinclusion of families in CPS, the provision of inappropriate services and system capacity and service orientation, are challenges the author identifies regarding how child maltreatment was handled. Clear screening guidelines to maximize child safety, increased capacity of community service providers and changes in organizational culture are among the recommendations for addressing these challenges.

Keywords: central registry, community-based partnerships, CPS system capacity, Harvard Executive Session, informal resources, in-home services, narrowing plus, overinclusion, partnership model, risk assessment, screen, service delivery, service orientation, standardized procedures, underinclusion

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Walter R. McDonald & Associates, Inc. (2001, March). National study of child protective services systems and reform efforts: Literature review. Retrieved October 2, 2009, from http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/protective01 

This literature review was prepared as part of the National Study of Child Protective Services Systems and Reform Efforts conducted almost a decade ago. The objective of the review was to inform the federal government about the current structure and improvement efforts of child protective services (CPS) systems across the nation. Among new approaches examined in the review are differential response (DR) or similar initiatives identified as existing in the states of Florida, Iowa, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, North Dakota, Texas, Virginia and Washington. Many of the articles reviewed note that the traditional components of CPS systems (report, investigations, services and/or child removal) are not appropriate because of changing standards of maltreatment and the difficulty in having a standardized approach that tries to meet two potentially contradictory objectives of punishing the perpetrator and providing services to the family. This review describes many proposals and initiatives for improving child protection practices. The articles reviewed suggest various proposals for change, including differential response/family assessment systems, the creation or support of community-centered services, clearer delineation of the relationship between CPS and law enforcement, increased collaboration between CPS and domestic violence agencies, increased collaboration between CPS and alcohol or other drug agencies and expanding the network of service providers. This literature review finds that many proposals and initiatives for improving CPS took a structural approach to improvement and that CPS agencies may need to more precisely define, divide and channel interventions into particular philosophical models. In addition to an overall review of existing literature, early evaluation findings were summarized. These findings included decreased duration of family involvement with CPS, increased use of community services and the indication that child safety was not compromised by participation in DR. The review concludes with a recommendation for a common typology for use in defining these efforts.

Keywords: child protective services, literature review, differential response, proposals for change, family assessment, decision making, new approach, alcohol and other drug, AOD, domestic violence, DV, community-centered, Family Preservation and Family Support Act, multidisciplinary teams, MDT, child advocacy centers, CAC, collaboration, structure, improvement, services, law enforcement, initiatives, structural approach, philosophical model, central registry, community services, child safety, re-referral, service capacity, staff training, parent cooperation, common typology

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Walter R. McDonald & Associates, Inc. (2003). National study of child protective services systems and reform efforts: Site visits report. Retrieved October 2, 2009, from http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/CPS-status03/site-visits/index.htm 

This article is a summary of eight site visits to child protective services (CPS) agencies in order to discuss recent reforms these sites have implemented. Sites were located in California, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin. Site activities included interviews, focus groups and obtaining documentation of the reform efforts. The article summarizes individual and general site findings. The site reports are descriptive illustrations of how change has been undertaken and discuss the history or context of the reform, the objectives of the reform, specific CPS policy, practice and procedural components, the impact of changes and plans for the future. In general, changes discussed were undertaken with the intent of improving the management and provision of CPS and were found by agency staff and the community to be beneficial. General areas of change noted across sites included organizational and administrative changes, investigation and assessment functions, improvements working with families, community collaborations, attention to domestic violence, addressing substance abuse and accountability. A common theme emerged across sites of providing more family-friendly, strengths-based services that empower families and involve them in the decision-making process. Only two sites specifically mentioned differential response (Virginia and Wisconsin).

Keywords: reform efforts; site visits; domestic violence; DV; family group conferencing, family group decision making, FGDM, differential response, alternative response, drug courts, child protective services, Georgia, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Virginia, Wisconsin, California, Florida, Utah; assessment, community collaboration, domestic violence, substance abuse, family-friendly, strengths-based, policy, investigation

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Weiden, T., Nutter, B., Wells, L., & Sieppert, J. (2005). Alberta response model implementation evaluation phase 1: Baseline data. Alberta, Canada: University of Calgary, Centre for Social Work Research and Professional Development. 

This report presents evaluation findings for the implementation phase of the Alberta Response Model (ARM) in fiscal year 2003/2004. Data were collected from randomly selected files for 183 family enhancement (differential response) and 193 protection (traditional investigation) cases, and from a series of key informant interviews with knowledgeable family resource center staff. Demographic and service provision characteristics are documented for each case, as well as assessment practices, permanency planning activities and community engagement efforts. Interviews focused on community engagement outcomes for the center they represented, such as community input into center planning and priority setting, center input into community planning and priority setting, development of community supports for child and youth well-being, integrated service delivery and active engagement with the community in supporting child and youth well-being. The most important finding for this initial evaluative effort is the lack of systematic documentation for the information required to conduct the study. It is recommended that the 14 baseline measures developed for the evaluation be used to develop practices and outcomes for future differential response work.

Keywords: casework baselines, family enhancement, community engagement, aboriginal origin, assessment, motivation for change, supportive alliance, permanency planning, family meetings, outcome measures

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Weiser, B., & Dreitzer, D. (2008, November). Partnerships and pitfalls: Nevada differential response program. Presentation at the American Humane Association Conference on Differential Response, Columbus, OH. Retrieved October 2, 2009, from http://www.americanhumane.org/assets/docs/protecting-children/partnerships-and-pitfalls.pdf 

This presentation provides an overview of Nevada’s recently implemented differential response initiative. A map and description of the state are provided, as well as descriptions of the state and local partners in the effort and a timeline for the project. Full implementation of the approach was planned by 2012 in all family resource centers (FRCs) in the state, pending budget constraints. Clark (Las Vegas), Washoe (Reno/Sparks), and Elko county FRCs provided the first locations for the approach. At the time of the presentation, seven programs were in operation with six additional sites to be implemented by January 2009, and 557 of 681 families had been served. Points of emphasis include the maintenance of open communication and flexibility in implementation planning.

Keywords: partnership, Washoe County, Elko County, Clark County, service areas, family resource center, neglect, NCFAS-G, UNITY, SACWIS, rural region, training, Casey Family Programs

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Wheeler, C. E., & Johnson, S. (2003). Evaluating family group decision making: The Santa Clara example. Protecting Children, 18(1 & 2), 65-69. 

This article provides a detailed overview of the family conference model (FCM), followed by a description of the model’s application in Santa Clara County, Calif. Evaluation findings of the county’s use of the model focus on preventing maltreatment, maintaining children within their families and reducing court involvement. These outcomes were found to be largely met for participating families, and a participant satisfaction survey indicated that families found the conferences to be helpful. The authors conclude that family conferencing contributes to a family’s engagement and the ability to achieve positive outcomes for itself and its children, while remaining an essentially cost-neutral approach.

Keywords: family conference model, child and family outcomes, family strengths, court involvement, informal services, kinship care, cost, cultural issues

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Yuan, Y-Y. T. (2005). Potential policy implications of alternative response. Protecting Children, 20(2 & 3), 22-31. 

This article reviews the development of child welfare policy in relation to the differential response (DR) approach, including factors related to reporting and screening, determining the most appropriate response, comparing activities conducted under investigation versus DR tracks, differences in service provision and the most appropriate time in the process to determine whether maltreatment took place. Program histories, descriptions and select evaluation data are used here as examples. The core components of assigning assessment versus investigation tracks to a child protective services report are reviewed, with examples at each stage regarding how cases in each of the tracks were handled, and identifying the potential policy implications raised. Select findings from the extensive evaluation of the Minnesota program are presented as examples. The article concludes with a discussion of factors to be considered in DR’s successful implementation, including funding issues, public awareness and its inclusion in the larger discussion of how best to meet the needs of children and families.

Keywords: assessment, Child Abuse Protection and Treatment Act, CAPTA; community-oriented, core components, decision protocol, dispositional assessment, family group decision making, mandated reporters, NCANDS, reporting laws, screening, service provision, substantiation, voluntary services

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Zielewski, E. H., Macomber, J., Bess, R., & Murray, J. (2006). Families’ connections to services in an alternative response system. Washington, DC: Urban Institute.

This paper provides findings from a study that sought to examine how families connect to community services in an alternative response system. The authors conducted this study in two states that have incorporated alternative response processes into child welfare practice: Kentucky and Oklahoma. The authors interviewed child welfare agency administrators and community service providers, organized focus groups with caseworkers and spoke with families in both urban and rural areas of Kentucky and Oklahoma. The study illustrated six potential factors that could impact how and if families connect to service providers if alternative response is applied: 1) the “service network infrastructure,” 2) the availability of services, 3) the referral process, 4) the follow-up process, 5) the approach to families and 6) the service facilitators. The four major study findings are: 1) the pathway to services in an alternative response system is complex; 2) the exchange of information between child welfare agencies and community providers is often minimal; 3) service networks exist, but they may have key gaps; and 4) follow-up to see if families receive services is rare. The authors conclude the paper by identifying areas of future alternative response research as well as policy and practice implications.

Keywords: aftercare plans, alternative response, approach to families, availability of services, community service providers, connections to services, Families in Need of Service Assessment, FINSA, family-centered, family engagement, family team meeting, follow-up, intensive services, referral process, service facilitators, service network infrastructure, strengths-based, traditional investigation

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