If the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) were granted one wish, they would never have to investigate a case of child abuse or neglect again.
This is sadly an unrealistic wish; And what makes it even more unfortunate is the fact that this government department is so inundated with requests for investigation to help stop child abuse that it often takes longer to get to the bottom of the problem. And with more than 100,000 child abuse cases brought to the department annually, it’s no wonder that time is of the essence when it comes to providing families the relief they seek.
Signs of child abuse are quite evident when a teenager has bruises, black eyes, broken bones, or other types of scars related to physical assault by someone over the age of eighteen.
However, recognizing the signs of child neglect is often not that easy to spot, most of the time because anyone outside the situation does not know exactly what types of adult behaviors fall into the category of “neglect.”
Child neglect occurs when the adult responsible for a minor child denies adequate food, water, shelter, clothing, and supervision during daily activities. A good example that often gets neighbors or other close people involved in reporting child neglect is when a child is found outside playing on or around the street without a parent or other guardian to watch their games and at the same time ensure your safety.
Is there a guide to understanding child abuse and neglect that determines whether to file a complaint with the Department of Children and Family Services?
The answer is yes.”
This guideline establishes that if the person who reports child abuse and neglect has actually seen a harmful act committed towards a child (such as an adult hitting the child with a foreign object), or heard from the child that they have been hurt. by an adult in some way, then the witness warrants a call to the DCFS offices.
Then there are those events that most believe qualify for a report to DCFS when in reality another government agency would be better able to handle the problem on behalf of minor children.
An example of such a problem is the following: a child may live in a home where he has to listen to his parents arguing non-stop, an event that causes him undue stress. Another adult may also hear the intense fighting, especially in an apartment situation where two houses often share common walls. And while the secondary adult may feel that the child’s stress warrants a call to DCFS to file a report, the instance of two parents yelling at each other does not define an act of emotional child abuse towards the youth. Therefore, the details of this event would best be shared with a community service organization, such as one that provides advice to affected parties.
When a call arrives at your offices, what are the details of the process DCFS goes through to investigate a reported complaint?
An intake specialist who answers the call has his pen in hand, ready to record all the information about the concerns the informant has about the minor children who are at the center of the matter.
The details discussed during that conversation include what the person witnessed that created the need to make the call in the first place, and it is from this information that the caseworker makes the informed decision as to whether or not to proceed. to the next step of the procedure.
If the information provided is about something serious, such as a food-starved child or the observance of the beaten child (and on more than one occasion), an investigator will be put on the case within twenty-four hours, and sometimes even in less time if the situation is serious enough to require it.
And if the intake specialist decides that there is not enough information to open an investigation, the caller can still get answers to any of their questions about what was observed or what to do if a similar event is witnessed in the future.
Those individuals who choose to speak with a caseworker at DCFS can rest assured that their names will be kept confidential and that the family in question will never know at any point who initiated the impending investigation. However there is is An exception to this rule: If the reported case ever ends up in court in front of a judge, that judge may ask to speak with the person who got the ball rolling to gather additional information or confirm already established facts.
The Department of Children and Family Services deals with cases of child assault or other types of abuse, but what else does this organization do on a daily basis to help families and their children get along in the world?
Placing foster children in good homes with loving families is one of the highest priority items on the service task list. In addition, adoptions are organized for children who need a welcoming place to put down roots.
Whether it is a parent, teacher, babysitter, or other adult creating an abusive situation for a child, DCFS is on the case and willing to provide relief once a problem has been documented.