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Home > Responding to Child Abuse & Neglect > Intake, Investigation, & Assessment > Alternative Response in Child Protective Services
Alternative Response in Child Protective Services
Traditional child protective services focus on investigations of possible maltreatment to determine if children have been or are at risk of being harmed. They are generally governed by legal requirements. Alternative responses allow child welfare agencies to intervene with families in more supportive ways, often by focusing on assessing families' strengths and needs and providing services.
In States that offer alternative responses, they are generally provided in cases of lower risk. Investigations are still conducted for allegations of severe physical abuse and neglect and for sexual abuse. Alternative responses are also called differential responses, multitrack responses, and dual-track responses.
Also on this page, State and local examples.
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Differential Response to Reports of Child Abuse and Neglect
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.
National Study on Differential Response in Child Welfare (PDF - 3440 KB)
American Humane Association & Child Welfare League of America (2006)
Provides results from a descriptive survey on differential response, including State and county profiles on the implementation of the system.
Alternative Response Collection
National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect
A database of journal articles, research, and other resources related to alternative response systems.
Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment : Findings from NCANDS
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 ...
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Alternative Response Systems (PDF - 1540 KB)
FRIENDS National Resource Center for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention (2007)
Discusses findings from States on their involvement with alternative response systems and other child protective services innovations, ways to expand involvement on both individual and collective levels, and State needs for support and technical assistance.
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)
Getting Started With Differential Response: Fundamentals and First Steps (PDF - 5920 KB)
Kaplan & Schene (2007)
A presentation addressing important considerations for jurisdictions moving to implement differential response, including statutory changes, relating to stakeholders, preparing staff, addressing issues of assessment, engaging families and coordinating with community services.
Protecting Children in the 21st Century
Waldfogel
Family Law Quarterly, 4(3), 2000
View Abstract
Explains the differential response model and proposes that child protective services agencies adopt it as a means of individualizing services and establishing a community-based system of assistance that includes informal and natural supports.
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State and local examples
Alternative Response (PDF - 272 KB)
Carpenter
Children, Families and the Courts: Ohio Bulletin, 3(3), 2007
Presents an overview of alternative response, examines the national data on alternative response structures, and provides an update on Ohio's progress toward implementation of an alternative response model.
Choosing the Path Less Traveled: Strengthening California Families Through Differential Response (PDF - 1250 KB)
Schene, Oppenheim, & Senderling
What Works Policy Brief, 11, 2005
Discusses how a differential response could be used to meet the criteria to receive services from county child welfare agencies in California.
Extended Follow-up Study of Minnesota's Family Assessment Response: Final Report (PDF - 732 KB)
Institute of Applied Research (2006)
Describes the evaluation of a flexible approach to addressing child maltreatment reports in Minnesota, including implementation, changes in services provided to families, impact on child safety, family risk, recurrence of child maltreatment, and more.
Implementing Differential Response: An Assessment of Community Organizations' Capacity and Interest: Final Report (PDF - 198 KB)
SPHERE Institute (2006)
Using the results of a survey of community organizations in San Mateo County, California, to assess their service capacity and interest in participating in a differential response network, recommendations are provided on which types of organizations are most prepared to implement a differential response system.
The Missouri Family Assessment and Response Demonstration Impact Evaluation: Digest of Findings and Conclusions (PDF - 409 KB)
Institute of Applied Research (2000)
Compares the outcomes for families served by the multitrack response system in pilot counties with baseline data before the system was implemented and with outcomes for families served in other parts of the State.
Multiple Response System (MRS) Evaluation Report to the North Carolina Division of Social Services (NCDSS) (PDF - 429 KB)
Center for Child and Family Policy (2004)
Findings regarding five key aspects of the MRS as field tested by 10 county departments of social services.
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