If it is determined that additional services are required after the Initial Assessment, the family will participate in "Ongoing Services." Ongoing is the most extended phase of the CPS system. During this phase, child welfare professionals will continue to evaluate child safety and identify what services and support will assist a family in maintaining a safe home environment and flourishing. In Wisconsin, their efforts are guided by Wisconsin's Ongoing Standards. Ongoing case management may be carried out through both in-home and out-of-home services.
Child Protective Services (CPS) implements and manages sufficient, feasible, and sustainable safety plans to control impending danger. Implementing a safety plan does not mean a child is safe. It means the impending danger is controlled through an in-home safety plan (link to in-home ongoing services webpage). When assessing safety, workers should refer to CPS Safety Intervention Standards.
An out-of-home placement is necessary if safety cannot be managed in the home. When out-of-home placement is required, agencies must determine whether the placement environment is safe. Workers should refer to the Ongoing Services Standards section “Confirming a Safe Environment when Children are placed in Out-of-Home Care”. Confirming Safe Environment Ongoing Services Worker Information provides additional direction.
Placement continues until protective capacities are established and safety threats are eliminated.
Permanency planning occurs when a child is in out-of-home care. Goals are set for the child to establish permanency in a timely manner and reviewed every 6 months. Whenever possible, permanency is achieved through reunification, guardianship or adoption.
For more information on permanency planning see the Ongoing Services Standards Permanence section. Ongoing Out-of-Home Care Services Worker Information provides additional direction.
A child’s well-being depends on the caretaker’s ability to meet their needs. This includes a child’s:
Agencies should assess children’s and adult’s needs in these areas throughout the case process. These needs are to be addressed as part of case planning activities. Children and families should be engaged in the service process. This builds and maintains a trusting, supportive working relationship. More information on case planning requirements is in the Ongoing Services Standards
Safe case closure occurs when a child is:
The agency works with the family to establish supports before ending involvement. These supports include the family network or community. Supports may be new or strengthened.
These cases involve an unsafe child. Safety is controlled with a safety plan that allows the child to remain in the home. Ongoing safety assessment, analysis and planning, as outlined in the Safety Intervention Standards are very important for these families. With these families, professionals will:
There are certain points to remember when providing CPS in-home services:
When a child is safe but is in need of services, an agency may open a child welfare case. Agencies are not required to open child welfare cases unless a child is in need of a placement. Examples of In-Home Child Welfare cases include, but are not limited to:
The focus of the agency in these cases is to provide support and services to the child and family. Workers also continue to check the safety of the children. The professional focuses on:
There are certain points to remember when providing child welfare in-home services:
The requirements for ongoing out-of-home care services can be found in the Ongoing Services Standards. The Ongoing Services Standards provides a framework for the ongoing case process and focuses on safety, permanence, and well-being for children and their families served under Wisconsin Statute Chapter 48 and Chapter 938. Practice expectations set by the Standards ensure families statewide receive:
Child welfare agencies must ensure all actions of either agency or contracted staff comply with the Standards.
While the Standards establish requirements throughout the ongoing case process, county agencies and the Division of Milwaukee Child Protective Services (DMCPS) may develop more prescriptive policies and procedures.
Out-of-Home Child Protective Services (CPS) cases involve an unsafe child where impending danger is controlled through an out-of-home placement.
A thorough understanding of child safety decisions and actions is essential for caseworkers since safety assessment, analysis, planning, and the management of child safety occurs in every aspect of CPS involvement with a family.
Ongoing Services has the following fundamental intervention responsibilities:
Information from an initial assessment, a child welfare assessment, or the juvenile court intake process guides decision-making about whether an agency will open a case for ongoing services. When children are safe, but the agency determines that a child requires either specific services or sanctions in the community or in a placement setting, the agency opens a child welfare case.
Child welfare cases involve providing support and services to a family. The caseworker focuses on:
These cases may be court ordered or voluntary, and may include Juvenile Justice (JJ) and Juveniles in Need of Protection or Services (JIPS) cases.
Safety intervention for child welfare cases focuses on confirming children remain safe and protected from abuse and neglect.
Although child safety is not the reason for agency intervention, it is important to understand there may be times during the life of a case when family dynamics and functioning change, resulting in an unsafe child. At this point, a case becomes a child protective services case and can no longer be served as a child welfare case.
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