The
purpose of child protection services is to identify children in need
of protection, and to provide services to assist their care givers to
attain the skills necessary to achieve positive family outcomes. Current
interventions are based on the principles of the best interest of the
child and the least intrusive method of intervention for the child and
family. Increased emphasis on family support and preservation of the
family is an important concept in the field of child protection. This
has heightened the awareness of the value for family-based preventive
services in the prevention of child abuse. Investigation of abuse and neglect are prioritized using a risk management process. There is no formal wait list for child protection services. However, response time to a report may depending upon the nature of the report. A report that a child is in a potentially life threatening situation would be considered high priority and would receive immediate attention. A request for voluntary services where there is no immediate threat would be given a lower priority. Details of the risk management process also includes implementation of a standardized risk assessment tool which assists Social workers in determining the presence of factors that may contribute to future risk of abuse and neglect. This forms the basis for the development of appropriate intervention plans.
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