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Home > Family-Centered Practice > Overview > Family-Centered Practice Approaches > Alternative Response as a Family-Centered Approach
Alternative Response as a Family-Centered Approach
Traditionally, child welfare agencies have responded to allegations of child abuse and neglect by investigating the report, determining whether maltreatment has occurred or if the child is at risk, and putting an appropriate intervention in place. Many States and localities are moving to a more family-centered approach called alternative response, differential response, or multiple response.
In these models, the focus is on assessing the strengths and needs of the family and child while ensuring the child's safety, usually without requiring a determination regarding maltreatment. Families may receive services through diversion to community agencies.
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National Quality Improvement Center on Differential Response in Child Protective Services
Generates knowledge on effective practice models of differential response in child protective systems and supports the infrastructure at State and local levels to improve outcomes for children and families referred for suspected maltreatment.
Differential Response to Reports of Child Abuse and Neglect
| Series Title: |
Issue Briefs |
| Author(s): |
Child Welfare Information Gateway.
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| Availability: |
View
Download (PDF - 254KB)
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| Year Published: |
2008 - 26 pages |
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A growing number of State and local child protective services (CPS) agencies are employing some form of differential response. In these systems, families reported for suspected child abuse or neglect may receive either a traditional investigation or an assessment alternative, depending on the severity of the allegation and other considerations. This issue brief for child welfare administrators and policymakers provides an overview of differential response, highlights lessons learned through research and experience, and offers some guiding principles for implementation.
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Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment : Findings from NCANDS
| Author(s): |
United States. Dept. of Health and Human Services. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation., Walter R. McDonald and Associates.
Shusterman, Hollinshead, Fluke, Yuan |
| Availability: |
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Download (PDF - 1,290KB)
Order (Free - Add to Cart)
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| Year Published: |
2005 - 69 pages |
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This report is the second in a series of three reports, based on the Secondary Analysis On Child Abuse and Neglect Topics of Current Policy Interest. This research examined case-level data reported to the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS) by six States Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, Oklahoma, and Wyoming that offered both alternative response and traditional investigation. Case characteristics, circumstances of reports, and outcomes were examined for 313,838 children of whom 140,072 received an alternative response during 2002. Overall, the findings from the included States indicate that the use of alternative response was either increasing or ...
Alternative Responses to Child Protective Services: Emerging Issues and Concerns
English, Wingard, Marshall, Orme, & Orme
Child Abuse and Neglect, 24(3), 2000
View Abstract
Reports on outcomes for 1,263 low-risk child protective services referrals diverted to a community-based alternative response system. Conclusions support the idea that criteria for diversion to community alternatives for child protective services must be clearly articulated and applied.
Family-Centered Child Welfare (PDF - 366 KB)
National Child Welfare Resource Center for Family-Centered Practice
Best Practice/Next Practice, Spring, 2001
Examines differential response systems that customize services to meet the specific situation of each family. Outlines benefits and describes models implemented in eight States.
Center for Community Partnerships in Child Welfare
Center for the Study of Social Policy
Information on partnership initiatives in multiple sites, including description, key strategies, and evaluations.
Community Partnerships for Protecting Children Initiative
Center for the Study of Social Policy
Describes a community child protection initiative, including underlying principles, key strategies, and evaluation results.
Differential Response in Child Welfare.
While the structure for differential response intuitively makes sense, implementing such a system is complex and intricate. This double issue of "Protecting Children" fills a literature void and disseminates cutting-edge knowledge from a practice, philosophical, policy, and research perspective on the approach. The perspectives of many distinguished experts are gathered in this diverse and thought-provoking publication, which addresses: use of differential response with varying case characteristics; evaluative findings; community- and state-specific lessons surrounding implementation; and the practice, policy, and data implications. (Author abstract)
Early Intervention and Differential Response: Decision Points Where Fairness and Equity Can Be Addressed and Evaluated (PDF - 85 KB)
California Social Work Education Center (2003)
Matrix outlining practice issues involving culturally competent practice with families and strategies to address them.
Getting Started on Community Child Protection: How State and Local Leaders Can Help Communities Safeguard Children More Effectively (PDF - 72 KB)
Center for the Study of Social Policy (2005)
Suggests ways for a range of State and community leaders to begin the reform process. Offers alternative starting points for beginning this work, depending on who current champions for the approach may be within a community.
A New Look at Child Protection
Williams-Mbengue & Ramirez-Fry
State Legislatures Magazine, December 1999
Describes innovative community-based alternatives to child maltreatment investigations being used to divert less serious cases from the child protective service system. Encourages State legislators to promote pilot programs, mandate multitrack response systems, permit the placement of workers in community settings, and allocate funds to the development of community-based networks.
An Overview of Differential Response Models (PDF - 136 KB)
Trocmé, Knott, & Knoke
CECW Information, 1, 2003
Introduction and brief overview of multitrack response procedures for families referred to child protection authorities.
What Is Community Child Protection?
National Conference of State Legislatures
Overview of the role State legislators can take in expanding community protection efforts.
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