Differential Response in Child Protective Services

Differential response, also called alternative response, encourages community agencies to participate in supporting families who are considered low risk, allowing child protection services to focus on the more serious cases in which abuse and neglect have been confirmed. This approach recognizes that variations in families' needs and strengths require different approaches. Assessments are done to help agencies develop strategies for identifying child and family needs and concerns and tailor its response accordingly. Resources include State and local examples.

Differential Response
Child and Family Services Review Information Portal
Provides an overview of differential response system as part of the Understanding the Child Welfare System e-learning module

Differential Response to Reports of Child Abuse and Neglect
Series Title Issue Briefs
Author(s)
Child Welfare Information Gateway
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Year Published 2014
Provides an overview of differential response (DR) in the United States and highlights lessons learned through research and implementation experiences. A growing number of child welfare agencies are employing DR in an effort to respond more flexibly to child abuse and neglect reports and to better meet individual family needs. In these systems, families with screened-in child maltreatment reports may receive either a traditional investigation or an alternative assessment response, depending on the type of allegation and other considerations.

Differential Response in Child Protective Services
National Conference of State Legislators (2019)
Provides a statutory analysis of the major provisions identified in State differential response legislative enactments in those States.

Differential Response and the Safety of Children Reported to Child Protective Services: A Tale of Six States (PDF - 768 KB)
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, Office of Human Services Policy (2016) 
Discusses results from a study that sought to determine whether children who have higher rates of alternative response are more or less likely to be rereported to protective services and/or confirmed to have been victims of subsequent abuse or neglect. 

The Differential Response (DR) Implementation Resource Kit: A Resource for Jurisdictions Considering or Planning for DR (PDF - 1,526 KB)
Casey Family Programs (2014)
Provides information on the differential response implementation processes of jurisdictions across the United States. The toolkit includes additional tools and resources that can assist jurisdictions with their planning processes.

Differential Response, One Size Does Not Fit All…
University of Colorado, Kempe Center (2020)
Provides a number of State, local, and national resources and international evaluations of differential response programs.

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State and local examples

Alternative Response Resource Guide (PDF - 857 KB)
Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (2018) 
Provides information for caseworkers and supervisors working with families who are eligible for alternative response. The guide discusses ways   caseworkers can work collaboratively with the family while keeping child safety paramount.

An Alternative Response to Child Protection in Nebraska (PDF - 718 KB)
Voices for Children in Nebraska (2017)
Explains how Nebraska has reformed policy and practice to allow for a more collaborative response that meets the individual needs of families when the risk to children is deemed to be low to moderate.

Differential Response Program
Colorado Department of Human Services (2019)
Assesses children for safety through family and community partnerships and collaborates with families to facilitate behavioral change. The organizational processes and practices contained within the differential response are also explained.

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