Re: No Services for Substantiated Child Maltreatment

["Walter Fahr" <Fswalter@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I would like to submit one caveat about interpreting data from NCANDS sources concerning the % of children/families receiving services. The definition of service delivery is post investigation services. Therefore, any services delivered by an investigative/assessment worker who makes the initial contact with the family is not counted. My experience is that many CPS workers do provide services as needed to families during the investigative period. Most of these services tend to be of a concrete sort such as financial assistance, housing assistance, referral for services,etc. My point is that some of the substantiated cases identified as receiving no post investigative services have received some  limited services during investigations. The tracking of services during investigations is not a priority in many places, but it needs greater emphasis to get a more accurate picture of service delivery. 

I would like to address the more critical issue of why a higher percentage of  post investigative services does not occur.  Generally speaking, I do not believe that most child maltreatment cases reach a level of evidence and degree of risk to meet  the criteria for a court intervention. Therefore, non-court cases, typically 85% of the substantiated total, do not meet this criteria and are voluntary service cases. This means that the client has the option of whether to accept or reject any  services and potentially receive no post investigative services(of their own choice). Most court systems do not have the capacity or inclination to become involved in these low to moderate risk cases(the 85%). Likewise,  neither the US Congress or the various state legislatures have been willing to fund the CPS system at a level to provide post investigative services to all substantiated clients. Budget is also a major part of the equation.       

Walter Fahr, LCSW
Program Manager-CPS
State of Louisiana

>>> david.finkelhor@unh.edu 01/29/01 01:17PM >>>
>From a briefing by Tom Birch, the head of the Child Abuse Coalition, it
sounds like the issue of services (or lack thereof) for maltreated children
may be poised to be a political rallying cry in CAPTA reauthorization this
year.  Can we have a discussion on the listserv of the best current
evidence about the % of substantiated maltreatment cases in which no
service is received (by child or family), and our understanding about the
reasons for this. I would like to be up-to-date on this issue if it becomes
publicly debated.

David Finkelhor *  Crimes Against Children Research Center * Family
Research Laboratory * Department of Sociology * University of New Hampshire * 
Durham, NH  03824 * 603-862-2761 (phone) * 603-862-1122 (fax)

david.finkelhor@unh.edu  (or)
davidf@hypatia.unh.edu 

(603) 862-2761  phone
(603) 862-1122  fax

CCRC website: http://www.unh.edu/ccrc/index.html 
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