- Home
- Departments
- Community Services
- Support for Individuals and Families
- Children's Services
- Child Protection
- Child Protection Investigations
Child Protection Investigations
Child Protection
As defined by Minnesota State Statute, an investigation is fact-gathering related to the current safety of a child and the risk of subsequent maltreatment that determines whether child maltreatment occurred and whether child protective services are needed. An investigation must be used when reports involve substantial child endangerment and for reports of maltreatment in licensed facilities. An investigation is completed within 45 days of receiving the report.
A child protection investigation is completed through the steps below:
Investigators will collect information to determine:
- Whether child maltreatment occurred and if harm was caused by something a parent / caretaker did or failed to do
- Whether child protection services are needed
- Washington County Social Workers will gather information regarding the allegation of maltreatment through interviews.
- Interviews are completed with the child, the alleged perpetrator, the parents / caretakers of the child, other children who live with the child or with the alleged perpetrator, and others who may have knowledge of the alleged abuse or neglect. Interviews with the children and parents must be tape-recorded. Interviews resulting from allegations of sexual abuse must be videotaped.
- Individuals interviewed are provided with an oral and written data privacy notification. The notification includes: Why we request the information
- How the information will be used
- That they may refuse to be interviewed / answer questions
- What can happen if they do not answer questions
- What other agencies can receive information regarding this report
- What rights they have to ask for a reconsideration of a determination
Washington County Social Workers will collect information regarding:
- Prior reports of maltreatment
- The child / children's ages, genders, and development
- The relationship of the reporter to the alleged perpetrator of maltreatment and how the reporter came to know about the alleged abuse
- The alleged perpetrator, including age, prior reports of maltreatment or child protection involvement, and criminal history
- Other facts that may be relevant and assist in determining if the child or children has / have been maltreated.
Additional information collected during the investigation may include:
- A medical examination of the child and/or obtaining medical records regarding the alleged maltreatment
- Interviews of health professionals
- Other facts that may be relevant and assist in determining if the child or children has / have been maltreated. Additional interviews may be conducted with witnesses and persons with knowledge of the allegations.
Involved persons will be informed of what was determined. Within 10 days of completing the investigation, the parents/guardians of the child are sent a letter stating:
- Whether the report of maltreatment has or has not been determined
- If protective services are needed
- The reasons for these determinations
- A statement that the law was followed through the investigation process
- A client's right to receive certain information about themselves from the social worker's report
A letter is also sent to the alleged perpetrator of maltreatment stating:
- Whether the report of maltreatment has or has not been determined
- Reason for this determination
- A statement that the law was followed through the investigation process
- A client's right to receive certain information about themselves from the social worker's report
If services are needed, Washington County Child Protective Services will work with the family to plan for the safety of the children. Barriers and problems will be identified as well as family strengths. A formal plan is agreed upon and established with family members.
Child protection services are often provided on a voluntary basis. However, there are cases when the need for child protection services is critical. Court action may be sought to require the family to accept child protection services and to ensure that the family follows through with the necessary social service plan.
If a child is in immediate danger, police can place a child outside of the home to ensure the safety of the child.
Facility Management
When Washington County Community Services receives a report of abuse or neglect in a facility licensed by Washington County Community Services, Minnesota state law mandates that we conduct an investigation to determine whether maltreatment occurred and if protective services are needed. An investigation of maltreatment report in facilities is completed through the steps below:
We work with local law enforcement to find out if the child has been maltreated, if the harm was caused by something the facility staff did or failed to do, and if the child is in need of protective services.
We will collect information to determine if the child was maltreated and if child protective services are needed by interviewing:
- Any alleged child victim who is in the facility
- Other children who are or have been in the facility, if needed
- Any children related to the alleged offender, if needed
- Any child who lives with or has lived with the alleged offender
- The alleged offender
- Staff members who may know of the alleged abuse or neglect
- Facility supervisors and directors
- Parents, guardians, or legal custodians, if necessary, of children who are or have been in the facility who may know of the abuse or neglect
People who are interviewed are told verbally and in writing:
- Why we request the information
- How we will use it
- That they may refuse to answer questions
- What will happen if they do or do not answer questions
- What other agencies can have access to this information
- What rights they have to certain information agencies have collected
- What rights they have to ask for a reconsideration of the determination
We will collect information regarding:
- Prior reports of maltreatment
- The child's age, gender, and development
- The person who reported, his or her relationship to the child and the person accused of maltreatment, and how the reporter knows about the alleged abuse
- The alleged offender, including age, prior reports of maltreatment, and criminal charges and convictions
- Other facts which will help find out if the child has been maltreated
We may collect other information including:
- A medical examination of the child
- Medical records relating to maltreatment
- Interviews with health professionals
- Documentation provided by the person accused of maltreatment
- Other facts that help us find out if the child has been maltreated
We must tape-record all interviews, when possible. When the report involves sexual abuse, we must videotape interviews with the child witness, when possible. We will complete the assessment within 90 days of receiving the report.
Involved persons will be informed of the determination. Within 10 days of completing the assessment, the parents/guardians of the child are sent a letter stating:
- Whether or not the child has been maltreated
- If we found that the family needs services
- The specific reasons for our decisions
- That we followed the law in collecting the information
- About people's rights to certain information on themselves from the report
Others who we must notify of our findings include:
- the person accused of maltreatment
- all parents and the placing agency in cases where we determine abuse or neglect occurred
- parents and the placing agencies contacted prior to conducting the interviews in cases where we did not determine abuse or neglect occurred
- the responsible licensing agencies
- when applicable, the Ombudsman's office.
These persons are informed of:
- Whether we found the child was maltreated
- Specific reasons for this finding
- That we followed the law in collecting information
- What rights they have to certain information about themselves
After the investigation, we provide for the safety of the children within the facility if abuse or neglect occurred or child protective services are needed. County agency staff and licensing staff intervene if negative licensing actions are required.