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In June 1992, a family services agency in the Niagara region of southern Ontario began implementing and operating a computerized version of the Child Welfare League of America's Child Well-Being Scales [Magura & Moses 1986]. The scales are completed on all cases at the point of transfer from intake to long-term family service, and then again every 120 days until case closure. The scales have been useful in clinical and administrative practice for case planning in aggregate form, service planning, community profiling, and outcome measurement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes the development and use of systematic risk assessment models by child protective services agencies. The proliferation of child protection risk assessment models in more than 40 states can be seen in part as a response to the crisis engendered in child protection services (CPS) agencies by the growing number of intakes and a resource-depleted environment. Risk assessment also reflects a legislative trend that views CPS intervention as justified "only when a child has suffered specific types of maltreatment" and that has defined maltreatment "more carefully in terms of particular physical harms or injuries, sexual conduct, or severe emotional damage." Two authors have described three procedures as risk assessment: 1) categorization of cases on the basis of severity of risk; 2) "needs assessment," although the factors in this term are not necessarily those associated with the prediction of future abuse; and 3) a "process for assessing the likelihood that a given person will harm a child in the future."

The article compares various structured risk-assessment systems used by child protective services for decision-making. Risk assessment is the systematic collection of information for determining the degree to which a child is likely to be abused or neglected at some future point in time. There are various systems including CANTS 17B, Washington Assessment of Risk Matrix (WARM) and the Child at Risk Field System (CARF). The CANTS 17B system comprises 23 factors among five separate categories, WARM has 32 factors among seven separate categories, and the CARF has 14 factors among five separate categories. There is a considerable increase in the use of structured risk-assessment systems by child protective services to assess the potential for mistreatment of children.

Reports the findings from an evaluation to assess the level of satisfaction among mandated reporters with an upstate western New York county child protection system. Procedures, sample and survey used in the study; Overall reporter satisfaction; Correlateion of satisfaction during initial contacts; Suggestions for child protection agencies that seek to improve their relationship with mandated reporters.

The locality in which a child is reported as maltreated is one of the most powerful predictors of whether that allegation will be investigated. This study examined the relationship between ecological factors and screening decisions made by child protective services (CPS) workers from 12 sites in 5 states. Of community sociodemographic characteristics, the number of families with children under age 18 was the strongest predictor of the rate of screening in a local CPS office. Rate of investigation was also positively related to a higher proportion of contacts alleging neglect and the allied community professionals having a positive relationship with CPS. When sociodemographic and reporting variables were combined, the proportion of neglect cases was the far stronger predictor.At the case level, when controlling for locality, worker beliefs that the role of CPS was a broad one and a worker''s statements that resource availability was not a factor in the worker decision making process were both positively related to that worker''s decision to investigate specific allegations of maltreatment or allegations of injury to a child. Although much research has focused on case-related factors in the screening decision, the results of this study suggest that factors from other levels of the decision ecology should not be ignored. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This article proposes the concept of a child-centered social worker committed to minimizing the potential for system-induced trauma by assisting the sexually abused child through the judicial process and providing clinical treatments as well. The prosecution of child sexual abuse cases continues to be an area in which there is a strain between the judicial system and the social work profession. The former is predominantly interested in the conviction of the accused and the later is primarily interested in the protection of the child's emotional well-being. Social workers have played an important part in the legal process and are attuned to developmental needs of children and their concerns. Social workers are recognized as experts in the area of child sexual abuse because they work with abused children more regularly than other professional groups. Increasingly, social workers are being called on by the legal system to provide information about the nature of sexual abuse and its impact on children. Social workers have become more involved in efforts to educate the child about and facilitate their ability to participate in the courtroom processes. There is a need to re-conceptualize the traditional role played by the clinical social worker.

Infants and toddlers are at increased risk for severe/fatal abuse, often at the hands of male perpetrators. This paper examined whether child maltreatment cases involving younger children receive more casework services, overall caseworker activity (e.g., home visits, phone contacts), and are more likely to be substantiated, particularly if a male perpetrator is involved. The randomly selected sample consisted of 293 child abuse and neglect reports in a large county in Western New York in 1993. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that younger children generally receive more overall services and caseworker activity, and that while age makes a significant contribution after the decision has been made to substantiate a case, it does not have the same effect on the initial decision of whether or not to substantiate. Gender of the perpetrator did not reliably predict caseworker attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the trajectory of cases through four systems: child protection, law enforcement, the dependency courts, and the criminal courts. Method: This study focused on a county selected from a 41-county telephone survey conducted for the National Incidence Study of Child Abuse and Neglect (NIS-3). For this analysis prospective samples were drawn from law enforcement (n =225) and the county child protection (CPS) agency (n =225) and followed through in-depth case tracking across all agencies and through both the dependency and criminal court systems. Results: The percentage of CPS cases opened in dependency court was similar to prior studies (29%), but the acceptance and prosecution rates were much higher—92% of the cases referred from CPS, including many cases of physical abuse. Compared to referrals from CPS to law enforcement (93%), few cases were referred from law enforcement to CPS (17%). Anecdotally, case referral patterns appeared to be influenced by communication patterns and mutual positive regard, regardless of the collaborative protocols in place. One of the most instructive findings was the degree of difficulty in tracking cases across organizations and the types of obstacles that impeded success. Disorganization was not an issue, rather internal structures set up to facilitate intra-organizational processing were the same structures that actually impeded cross-organizational case finding. Conclusions: It is not sufficient to rely on the existence of multi-disciplinary teams or Child Advocacy Centers to ensure collaboration. More attention to daily tasks and activities as well as the nature and quality of communication is warranted. On the technical side, use of common case identifiers on cases that are cross-referred is strongly recommended. Future studies should broaden the scope of inquiry to include the consequences of all case trajectories, rather than solely focusing on the justice system. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]