Child Safety Framework: Analyzing and Planning for Child Safety

Child Safety FrameworkChild Safety Framework Informs and guides child safety decisions throughout the life of a case. Provides precise language and clear definitions. Strengthens child safety assessments and planning. Guides appropriate placement decisions.

Gathering Information Gathering Information to determine if Danger Exists 1.What is the nature and extent of maltreatment? 2.What surrounding circumstances accompany the maltreatment? 3.How does the child/children function on a daily basis? 4.How does the parent/caregiver discipline the child? 5.What are the overall parenting and child care practices? 6.How does the parent/caregiver manage his/her own life on a daily basis?

Safe Child Children are considered safe when there are no present danger or impending danger threats or the caregiver’s protective capacities control all known safety threats. Definition:

CapacitiesProtective Capacities Behavioral, cognitive and emotional characteristics that can specifically and directly be associated with a person’s ability and willingness to care and keep a child safe. Definition:

Unsafe Child Children are considered unsafe when they are vulnerable to present or impending danger and caregivers are unable or unwilling to provide protection. Definition:

Immediate and significant Clearly observable Occurring in the present Child MUST be protected from the present danger Child may or may not need ongoing protection – Assess for Impending Danger Present Danger

Impending Impending Danger Parenting behavior that is harmful and destructive to a child’s cognitive, social, emotional or physical development that is likely to occur in the immediate or near future that could result in one or more of the following outcomes: Serious or severe harm Injury requiring medical attention Life endangering illness Death Definition:

Threats to a child’s safety are not immediate, and may not be obvious or occurring at onset of CPS intervention Threats are identified and understood through individual and family relationships and functioning Without safety intervention one could reasonably judge potential for severe harm Impending Impending Danger

Safety Threshold In order to determine if a safety threat exists ALL of the 5 criteria must be met: 1.Severe consequences to a child 2.Immediate or will occur in the near future 3.Vulnerable child in relation to the safety threat 4.Out of control 5.Behaviors, conditions, etc., are specific, observable and clearly understood

Risk is concerned with…Safety is concerned with… Whether a family is more or less likely to have another incident of abuse or neglect without agency intervention Current or impending dangerous family conditions and behaviors The probability of future maltreatment on a continuum from low to high Assessment that the child could suffer severe effects from the conditions in the family Characteristics of family functioningFamily conditions that meet the safety threshold Current and historical information, patterns, and behaviors Specific behavior of the parents to a child’s safety now or in the near-future Family conditions and behaviors are associated with future maltreatment Family conditions and behaviors that are currently out-of-control Evaluation of conditions and behaviors that may need services and treatment Conditions and behaviors that require control and management A limited number of validated characteristics that are related to the likelihood of future abuse or neglect A limited number of specific factors threatening child safety

Children in Licensed and Unlicensed Care When children are determined to be unsafe in licensed or unlicensed care, children are removed.

CA is responsible for the safety of children and this responsibility cannot be delegated to others. Protective actions, safety planning and continuous safety management are the strategies used by CA to keep children safe. Responsibility for SafetyResponsibility for Safety

Impending Danger Present Danger Gather 6 Gathering Questions Assess 17 Safety Threats 5 Safety Threshold Criteria Analyze 4 Safety Plan Questions Plan Safety Plan

Safety Plan Analysis 1.There is a parent/caregiver or adult in the home. 2.The home is calm enough to allow safety providers to function in the home. 3.The adults in the home agree to cooperate with and allow an in-home plan. 4.Sufficient, appropriate, reliable resources are available and willing to provide safety activities and tasks.

Operation of Safety Threats Understanding how safety threats operate in an individual family requires consideration of: The degree of protection necessary to keep the child safe. The resources available and accessible to the family. How much effort is necessary to develop and implement a sufficient plan immediately.

Degree of Protection: How much protection is needed for each child? What is the parent’s awareness and acknowledgement of threats? What do they think their child needs in order to be safe? Operation of Safety Threats

Resources available/accessible to family: Who can help? Relatives, kin, friends, fictive kin Educators, medical providers Service providers What are they willing to do? What is their relationship to the family? What resources are easily available and accessible? Operation of Safety Threats

Effort needed to develop immediate and sufficient plan: Plans should only control and manage identified threats Plans do not attempt to evaluate or treat parents Plans should match the duration, frequency, and severity of identified threats Operation of Safety Threats

Determining Suitability/ Reliability of Safety Plan Participants Participants in the plan must be able to provide a greater level of protection for the children than the parent. Participants in plans are allied with the child and will take action to protect the child and notify the department if threats are present. Social workers will: Interview all potential safety plan participants Conduct background checks (FamLink and criminal history) on all potential safety plan participants

What is a Safety Plan? A Safety Plan is: A written agreement establishing how safety threats will be immediately managed and controlled. Implemented and active as long as threats to child safety exist and parental protective capacities are insufficient to protect and keep a child safe.

A Safety Plan contains: Detailed safety activities and tasks provided by suitable and reliable participants, including the social worker. Resources immediately accessible and available. Does not include parental promises. What is a Safety Plan?

Used for children in-home or out-of-home References all children in a family Clarifies role of parents Clarifies protective role of others Addresses all threats identified in the safety assessment What is a Safety Plan?

Manage and Control Developing a Safety Plan Sufficient to Manage and Control Threats A safety plan is sufficient to control threats or substitute for diminished protective capacities when it: Is a well thought-out approach Contains the most suitable people Takes the necessary actions, frequently enough

Establishing Conditions Establishing Conditions for Return Home Use the Safety Plan Analysis to discuss with parents why the out-of-home plan was developed. Any of the four questions that were answered “no” determined the out-of-home plan. All four questions must be answered “yes” in order for an in-home plan to be developed. Parents should understand: The specific reasons why their children were removed. How the out-of-home safety plan will keep their children safe.

Conditions for Return HomeConditions for Return Home 1.Threats no longer exist and child is safe or existing threats can be controlled and managed with an in-home safety plan. What must occur for the control and management of the threats? All answers on the Safety Plan Analysis must be “yes.”

2.Parents recognize, acknowledge, and understand the threats: Acknowledgment that safety threats existed and that children were unsafe in the home. Progress has been made on understanding the identified safety threats and toward strengthening protective capacities. Parents may be able to articulate how the threats endangered their children. Conditions for Return HomeConditions for Return Home

3.An in-home safety plan can be sustained: Components and detail of an in-home plan are reliable. Family home has gained stability and predictability. Natural and other supports are accepted by parents and the resources available are also acceptable. Safety and protection of children will not be disrupted as children transition from an out-of-home to an in-home plan. Conditions for Return HomeConditions for Return Home

Reunification Children are reunified when an in-home safety plan can keep the child safe. Safety planning at reunification must include consideration of the impact of transition on safety, stability, and sustainability.

DifferencesSafety Plans and Differences in Safety Plans and Case Plans SAFETY PLANSCASE PLANS Focus on threats that are identified in the safety assessment Focus on behavioral changes to reduce safety threats and increase protective capacities Remain in place until threats are no longer present Provide the individual and family objectives that address the safety threats and are the basis for ongoing CA involvement

Managing and Monitoring Child Safety the Managing and Monitoring Child Safety throughout the Life of a Case CA staff in every program - CPS, FVS, CFWS, FRS - actively manage and monitor safety plans. “Actively” means that the social worker is diligent, seeks information, responds promptly to concerns, and follows up on activities and tasks in a timely manner.

Who is in the family? What family issues brought this case to our attention? What are the safety threats? What are the individual issues? What are the family strengths and skills? Protective factors? Do we have a consensus about direction? Do we have action plans in place yet? What is the safety plan?