Home > Systemwide > Assessment > Comprehensive Family Assessment > Assessing Needs and Strengths-Parents and Caregivers

Assessing Needs and Strengths-Parents and Caregivers

Comprehensive family assessment includes specific attention to the strengths, needs, and capacities of parents and caregivers, including relative caregivers. Assessment strategies and tools for parents and caregivers gather information to help determine the need for intervention to prevent maltreatment, strengthen family functioning, and increase family stability. Screening and more comprehensive assessments are conducted to identify safety concerns, risks, strengths, and resources and help to determine the best possible response to the child, parent, and family, including appropriate services and/or referral for further assessment and evaluation.

• Parenting skills and competencies
• Family connections and resources
• Family functioning
• Parental mental health
• Parental substance abuse
• Domestic violence

	Selected Resources Tough Problems, Tough Choices: Guidelines for Needs-Based Service Planning in Child Welfare American Humane Association (2003) Guidelines for decisions about case plan development and service delivery, including a checklist of factors affecting abused and neglected children and alternatives for services and supports that may be provided to the family.

Updated on December 7, 2007