Assessment in Child Protection

State laws provide guidance to child protective services (CPS) agencies regarding identifying and reporting suspected child maltreatment, investigating to determine whether abuse occurred, and providing necessary services for children and youth and their families. View a chart of the child protection process.

Key assessment functions in the child protection process include:

• Identification
• Intake
• Initial assessment/investigation
• Comprehensive family assessment
• Evaluation of family progress

Identification

The first step in any child protection response system is the identification of possible incidents of child maltreatment. Medical personnel, educators, childcare providers, mental health professionals, law enforcement personnel, the clergy, and other professionals are often in a position to observe and/or screen families and children to identify abuse or neglect when it occurs. Private citizens, such as family members, friends, and neighbors, also may identify suspected incidents of child maltreatment.

For more information, see:

• Child abuse & neglect: Identifying child abuse and neglect
• Child abuse & neglect: Risk and protective factors

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Intake

Intake is the point at which reports of suspected child maltreatment are received by the agency designated by the State (typically the CPS agency and sometimes the police department). The agency receiving the report must make two primary decisions at intake:

• Does the reported information meet the statutory and agency guidelines for child maltreatment? (If yes, the report is "screened in" for further assessment or investigation.)
• How urgent is the required response?

For more information, see Responding to child abuse & neglect: Intake, investigation, and assessment.

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Initial assessment/investigation

An initial assessment or investigation is conducted on reports that are screened in during the intake process to identify whether the maltreatment can be substantiated. In addition to child protective services and law enforcement, other professionals such as medical and mental health personnel, teachers and childcare providers, and foster care or residential staff may play a role in the initial assessment.

The initial assessment or investigation addresses a number of questions:

• Is child maltreatment substantiated as defined by State statute?
• Is the child at risk of maltreatment, and what is the level of risk?
• Is the child safe and, if not, what type of agency or community response will ensure the child's safety in the least intrusive manner?
• If the child's safety cannot be assured within the family, what type and level of out-of-home care does the child need?
• Does the family have emergency needs that must be met?
• Should ongoing agency services be offered to the family to reduce the risk or address the treatment needs of the child?

For more information, see Responding to child abuse & neglect: Intake, investigation, and assessment.

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Comprehensive family assessment

The comprehensive family assessment is a process for identifying, considering, and weighing factors that affect the child's safety, permanency, and well-being. The family assessment is designed to gain a greater understanding about the family's strengths, needs, and resources so that children can be safe and the risk of maltreatment can be reduced.

The family assessment helps answer the following questions:

• What are the risks and needs of this family that affect safety, permanency, or well-being?
• What are the effects of maltreatment that affect safety, permanency, and well-being?
• What are the family's individual and collective strengths?
• How do the family members perceive their conditions, problems, and strengths?
• What must change in order for the effects of maltreatment to be addressed and for the risk of maltreatment to be reduced or eliminated?
• What is the parent or caregiver's level of readiness for change? What is their motivation and capacity to ensure safety, permanency, and well-being?

For more information, see Family-centered assessment.

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Evaluation of family progress

Evaluating whether risk behaviors and conditions have changed is central to case decisions. The case should be monitored until appropriate outcomes have been achieved.

Evaluating family progress helps answer the following questions:

• Is the child safe? Have the protective factors, strengths, or safety factors changed, warranting a change to or elimination of an existing safety plan or the development of a new one?
• What changes, if any, have occurred in the conditions and behaviors contributing to the risk of maltreatment?
• What progress has been made toward achieving case goals?
• Have the services contributed to better client outcomes?

For more information, see Responding to child abuse & neglect: Case management in child protection.

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Adapted from Goldman, J., Salus, M. K., Wolcott, D., Kennedy, K. Y. (2003). A Coordinated Response to Child Abuse and Neglect: The Foundation for Practice. Washington, DC: Office on Child Abuse and Neglect, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.