The document discusses several aspects of the Child Protective Services (CPS) system, including its objectives, processes, services offered, and relationship with outside entities. CPS aims to protect children from abuse and neglect, investigate reports of maltreatment, and help strengthen families. The CPS process involves intake and investigation, determining if intervention is needed, and providing post-investigation services until a case is closed. Risk assessment tools are used to evaluate risk levels and prioritize cases. Recurrence of maltreatment is common, and CPS works with other systems like law enforcement and schools as mandated reporters. A variety of family support services are offered to reduce further abuse and empower parents.

1. Running head: CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES 1
Aspects of the Child Protective Services System
Morgan Pearson
North Central University

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According to Allison Sinanan (2011), Child Protective Services are in place to help
victims of any type of neglect and abuse and to protect these victims of any further harm. The
primary objective is to stop any further violation done to the victim. The definition of Child
Protective Services according to Newman and Dannenfelser (2005) is a social service specialized
to children and their families that takes in reports, investigates, and gives resources of
intervention in family relations where the child has been abused in any manner. Research done
by Price et al. (2012) states, it is crucial for workers to build a trusting bond with the clients that
will promote family success. Another major objective is to help build a firm foundation within
the family, providing safety and strengthening relationships (Sinanan, 2011). Child Protective
Services is specially trained to help guide families by connecting to different services provided in
the community (Price et al., 2012). Child Protective Services relation with clients consists of the
investigation period where the case intake and disposition occurs and the intervention period
where the case disposition to the closing of the case (Hwa-ok, Solomon, Gelles, & White, 2010).
The Child Protective Service workers cannot take their decision making role lightly and need to
be constantly thinking of the best interest of the child for their future well-being (Baird, Wagner,
Healy, & Johnson, 1999). It is recommended that Child Protective Services workers have a low
amount of caseloads, to about 15 to 25 client situations (Price et al., 2012). The main elements
within Child Protective Services are: the various influences with the system, workers, and the
clients, the process with handling a case, crucial services offered to promote positive change, and
outside services that influence a child’s safety.
Influences
There are many different forces that influence the system as a whole, the workers, and
even the clients in which come in contact with the system. Child Protective Service workers offer
an array of different history and educational backgrounds adding different viewpoints and values

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to helping clients in the proper manner (Baird et al., 1999). In the past, caseworkers had solely
used the case study method, trusting on their past experiences, intuition, and interviewing skills
to help them make the best decision for the client (Baird et al., 1999).
Different services and models that Child Protective Services are based off of vary from
state to state (Doueck, English, DePanfilis, & Moote, 1993). Many of the clients and cases are
families and children living in poverty are more likely to be involved with Child Protective
Services (Hwa-ok et al., 2010). According to Janet Rosenzweig (2008), two-thirds of maltreated
child cases reported are closely related to poverty within the family.
Process
Child Protective Services is the first contact when dealing with reports of maltreated
child cases, and then going through the next steps of investigation and possible intervention
(Sinanan, 2011). When any child or family case comes to the attention of the Child Protective
Services system, they are then closely monitored and inspected (Hwa-ok et al., 2010). Once a
Child Protective Service worker makes the critical decision that a reported case needs the aid of
Child Protective Services, the worker must decide whether to start intervention or intensive in-
home family preservation services or to remove the child to out-of-home care (Baird et al.,
1999). The steps of the Child Protective Services involvement are: to report the source, client
contact by a worker, investigative level at intake, post investigation services, and system
involvement (Hwa-ok et al., 2010). The first stages of investigation is that the Child Protective
Service workers contact the child or family that has been reported for maltreatment by phone
calls and home visits (Hwa-ok et al., 2010). It is the duty of the workers to create and maintain
safe care plans early on for families and children at risk, and check in consistently (Price et al.,
2012). Continual contact with children and families are likely to increase by the worker
monitoring the chances of recurrence of maltreatment reoccurring (Hwa-ok et al., 2010). Making

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mistakes in the process of a case can have a range of consequences including injury or death if
the case is not handled correctly (Baird et al., 1999). Workers are also to be flexible, being able
to attend where services are provided such as: courts, clinics, jails, homes, treatment facilities,
and children’s services (Price et al., 2012).
Within the Child Protection Services system is the risk-assessment that helps workers rate
the level of risk that the child may be facing and helps the worker evaluate the best decisions
possible for helping the family (Baird et al., 1999). According to Dale Fitch (2006), the Child
Protective Services created risk assessment scales to measure the amount of risk that a child is
facing as a part of their investigation to help make the best decision for the child and their future.
It is noted that sexual abuse cases are put on a high priority investigation compared to other types
of maltreatment (Hwa-ok et al., 2010). Risk-assessment systems fall under two types that are,
consensus-based systems and actuarial systems. The consensus-based systems are made up of
educational judgments by professionals to predict the outcome of future abuse and neglect a
child is facing (Baird et al., 1999). The actuarial system is the use of empirical studies of current
and future Child Protective Services maltreatment cases and from the studies works create an
instrument to rate the risk of the client from high to low (Baird et al., 1999). When the first risk-
assessment is taken and the results are low, the investigation will be on low priority; where as
high risk is put on a more instant priority of investigation (Hwa-ok et al., 2010). The risk
assessment instrument is just one of many different methods to calculate risk, investigate, and to
make the best choices that will influence the child’s future (Fitch, 2006). By calculating the
overall risk to a child by preforming this assessment, it greatly helps agencies know what cases
are the most serious and how high of a priority the case is (Doueck et al., 1993). To calculate if
the risk-assessment or decision-making is correct, two different aspects have to be accounted for:
reading the social histories and all documents in the case files, and creating vignettes (videotaped

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interviews) for rating the risk (Baird et al., 1999). Child Protective Services decided to make the
risk assessment instrument to help other systems or personnel that may be involved with the case
(Fitch, 2006).
Recurrences and Rereporting
Rereporting is more likely to happen while the first stages of the Child Protective
Services investigation is taking place, and it decreases throughout the provided services (Hwa-ok
et al., 2010). A study conducted by the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System showed
that from 1998-2002, one-third of 1.4 million children in only nine states were rereported, and
about 17% of the victims were revictimized again within the next five years (Hwa-ok et al.,
2010). With Child Protective Services having high rates of recurrence, agencies are more than
likely working with the same abused child victims (Sinanan, 2011). The main mission of Child
Protective Services is to investigate and intervene to prevent reoccurrence of maltreatment (Hwa-
ok et al., 2010). When the overall Child Protective Services process is repeated (which includes
intake, investigation, disposition, and placement) this outcomes means that costs are increased
and more pressure on Child Protective Services workers (Sinanan, 2011). When rereporting
occurs, it is key to identify main factors that led to the recurrence of child maltreatment (Hwa-ok
et al., 2010). Child Protective Services agencies already have high demanding cases that put a lot
of pressure on workers; however, repeated cases could suggest some type of failure on the
system and the goal of protecting the child’s future from maltreatment (Hwa-ok et al., 2010).
Various studies have shown that families that have received assorted services have a less likely
chance of recurrence rates; however, the rates may differ according to the results from the
maltreatment (Sinanan, 2011). It is proven that rereporting causes an increase in rates of
recurrence (Hwa-ok et al., 2010). Studies have also shown that recurrences increase when there
is follow up Child Protective Services involved (Sinanan, 2011). A theory that is related to cases

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of rerepoting maltreatment is that any sort of continued contact with the Child Protective
Services system in any manner (Hwa-ok et al., 2010). Accurately identifying risk factors in cases
and correctly giving interventions to families is what is needed to stop the reoccurrences of
rereporting of child abuse (Hwa-ok et al., 2010).
Services Offered
Interventions offered by Child Protective Services are put in place to help the family that
is involved with the agency, and by decreasing the chance of further maltreatment to the child
(Sinanan, 2011). All workers should have the knowledge have community resources and the
capability to connect clients to what their specific needs are according to their situation (Price et
al., 2012). The various services offered are: family support services, family group decision
making, family preservation services, case management, parent aid, and more in-home family
support (Sinanan, 2011).
The family preservation services, which are offered under Child Protective Services, goal
is: to provide constant safety within the home, help coach families who are reuniting or adopting,
and to also provide other services to accurately meet the cultural needs of families (Sinanan,
2011). Family support services are more focused on developing stress-free parenting skills to
help correctly raise children, along with seeking other community-based support systems that aid
parents to thrive in their role (Sinanan, 2011). Family support services are found to show lower
rates of recurrence (Hwa-ok et al., 2010). The differences between these two services under the
Child Protective Services umbrella is that family preservation services is to keep the family
intact avoiding the end result of the child placed in foster care; therefore, the goal of family
supportive services is to support the child while the parents are receiving various sorts of
services and resources available to them (Sinanan, 2011).
Outside Services

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Other diverse professions require the role of being a mandated a reporter. These
professions include: educators, legal and law enforcement personnel, social services personnel,
medical personnel, mental health personnel, child day care providers and foster care providers
(Sinanan, 2011). Well trained professionals in the field know that they sometimes do not have all
the details correct; therefore, it is extremely important to a certain point to depend on other
outside forces for information from various perspectives and collateral sources that the worker
may of missed themselves (Fitch, 2006). A part of Child Protective Services is working together
with other services providers for the well-being of clients; therefore, a strong bond of trust needs
to be created between various networks that Child Protective Services works and collaborates
with (Price et al., 2012). These various staff members from other agencies and Child Protective
Services are to work together to create clear identification, referral, response policies, and
continual training (Price et al., 2012). Various sources that are deemed to be highly creditable
sources are: law enforcement, physicians, nurses, mental health professionals, and teachers
(Fitch, 2006). Reports of sexual abuse are considered a high-investigated rate from school
professionals and other various sources (Hwa-ok et al., 2010). Data from a recent study from the
National Center for Child Abuse and Neglect shows that children who were reported from any
professional from an educational system are at an increase of 25% to be rereported for
maltreatment (Hwa-ok et al., 2010). According to a recent study by the American Humane
Association, the preferred method of investigating reports of child maltreatment is when it is
done in partnership between Child Protective Services and law enforcement (Newman &
Dannenfelser, 2005). Children who were reported by any sort of law enforcement personnel are
9% less likely to be rereported than by social service professionals who first report the
maltreatment (Hwa-ok et al., 2010). Reports from law enforcement systems are taken to be more
of an urgent case compared to other report personnel for reports of physical abuse occurring

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(Hwa-ok et al., 2010). It is up to law enforcement to decide if there is enough proof to dictate
criminal charges (Rosenzweig, 2008). Schools and law enforcement systems have an increased
probability to report physical abuse; while medical systems have an increased probability of
reporting sexual abuse; neighbors or friends are more likely to report neglect (Hwa-ok et al.,
2010). It is also noted that working with other outside sources sometimes created a longer time
gap, such as hearing back from other personnel to receive information to help the case move
forward with the means of helping a child at risk (Fitch, 2006).
Personal Comments
Child Protective Services is a system that is close to my heart. I am a youth leader at a
large church and one of the students that I am very close with has a difficult home life. This
student has been a victim of abuse throughout their life and cannot seem to escape it. There have
been a few different instances where leaders from the church have heard reports of maltreatment
occurring, potentially imposing serious life altering consequences to this student and have called
the police. From there the church leaders also contacted Child Protective Services who are in
contact with law enforcement. Child Protective Services is currently in the process of rating this
student’s situation and risk of harm. This situation has become very important to me and in my
attempt to support and help this student, I wanted to find out more about Child Protective
Services and how they operate.
I believe that this system is absolutely beneficial to our society, because it gives children
a voice when they do not think they have one or theirs have been taken from them. Many
children may not ever receive any aid from protecting systems, but there millions who do. Child
Protective Services sees children where they are at in their life and when maltreatment is
occurring they have the authority to intervene into any situation. I also think services like these
are needed to help correct behavior, educate parents on what they are doing wrong and help them

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learn the correct, most constructive way to be a parent. I am convinced that workers in this
profession have an extremely difficult job that applies significant pressure on their decisions that
deeply influence the course of a child’s life. It is crucial that Child Protective Services workers
are trained in a highly professional manner allowing them to be effective in their job. Continual
training throughout their careers is invaluable to these professionals, allowing then to remain
sharp and well versed in various their skills levels.
Utilizing Child Protective Services provides a much needed connecting link with other
effective sources of services and systems that the child and family may need to come into contact
with. The Child Protective Services workers are the mediators coordinating these different
services to work together, with keeping the child’s best interest for overall safety at the center of
their work.
Critique of the Literature
The search to find overall literature about the services of Child Protective Services was a
difficult task. There was very few peer-reviewed articles defining the system and why this
services is put into place by the government. There was more information found on the overall
process that takes place when dealing with a case of child maltreatment. Most of the articles
highlighted the process and importance of the investigation stage. More information about the
intervening stage and follow up process would have been beneficial.
Many articles were found regarding the issue of recurrences and rereporting. From the
number of findings, this shows that there is a problem of the success rate after a family has been
in some sort of contact with Child Protective Services in any manner. This is a saddening
observation from the literature and would hope that research is being done to improve the overall
system of how services are executed for the future protection of children. There was many
articles found that included the risk assessment instrument and describe the scale that was used

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to measure the risk rate of children’s safety in their situation. Finding information and studies
that showed how this tool is influential on deciphering the level of risk was comforting knowing
that there is an overall standard that is being used.
The articles found informing about services that Child Protective Services offer was
limited. The information that was found just gave a brief summary of different services that are
available to families and mostly parents. More services should be available for the children such
as, various counseling or interactions with potential foster care systems. There was more array of
literature accessible about how other outside systems and personnel play a part of working with
Child Protective Services. The articles found gave a well overview of how these other systems
are important and crucial in protecting children at risk of maltreatment.
Conclusion
Child Protective Services is a system that is crucial to the protection of children from
maltreatment. Various factors influence the system, workers, and even the clients. Investigating
and intervening are crucial steps in the process of working with children and families that have
been reported of signs of maltreatment. Recurrence and rereporting are issues with clients, and if
the system is effective with ending abuse or neglect. Child Protective Services have specific
resources that are in place to provide support to help reconstruct behaviors. Other outside
systems help aid in the overall process of intervening with a child’s case. Personal comments and
critique of the literature was shared. Child Protective Services is key in our society to protect the
well-being of children who cannot speak up for the protection of themselves.

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References
Baird, C., Wagner, D., Healy, T., & Johnson, K. (1999). Risk Assessment in Child Protective
Services: Consensus and Actuarial Model Reliability. Child Welfare, 78(6), 723-748.
Doueck, H. J., English, D. J., Depanfilis, D., & Moote, G. T. (1993). Decision-Making in Child
Protective Services: A Comparison of Selected Risk-Assessment Systems. Child Welfare,
72(5), 441-452.
Fitch, D. (2006). Examination of the Child Protective Services Decision-Making Context with
Implications for Decision Support System Design. Journal of Social Service Research,
32(4), 117-134.
Hwa-ok, B., Solomon, P. L., Gelles, R. J., & White, T. (2010). Effect of Child Protective
Services System Factors on Child Maltreatment Rereporting. Child Welfare, 89(3), 33-
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Price, A., Bergin, C., Luby, C., Watson, E., Squires, J., Funk, K., & ... Little, C. (2012).
Implementing Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) Requirements to
Serve Substance-Exposed Newborns: Lessons From a Collective Case Study of Four
Program Models. Journal Of Public Child Welfare, 6(2), 149-171.
doi:10.1080/15548732.2012.667730
Newman, B. S., & Dannenfelser, P. L. (2005). Children's Protective Services and Law
Enforcement: Fostering Partnerships in Investigations of Child Abuse. Journal Of Child
Sexual Abuse, 14(2), 97-111. doi:10.1300/J070v14n02•06
Rosenzweig, J. (2008). CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT. Kennedy School Review, 8115-116.
Sinanan, A. N. (2011). The Impact of Child, Family, and Child Protective Services Factors on
Reports of Child Sexual Abuse Recurrence. Journal Of Child Sexual Abuse, 20(6), 657-
676. doi:10.1080/10538712.2011.622354