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Alternative Response in Child Protective Services
Traditional child protective services focus on investigations of possible maltreatment to determine if children have been or are at risk of being harmed. They are generally governed by legal requirements. Alternative responses allow child welfare agencies to intervene with families in more supportive ways, often by focusing on assessing families' strengths and needs and providing services.
In States that offer alternative responses, they are generally provided in cases of lower risk. Investigations are still conducted for allegations of severe physical abuse and neglect and for sexual abuse. Alternative responses are also called differential responses, multitrack responses, and dual-track responses.
National Quality Improvement Center on Differential Response in Child Protective Services
Generates knowledge on effective practice models of differential response in child protective systems and supports the infrastructure at State and local levels to improve outcomes for children and families referred for suspected maltreatment.
Differential Response to Reports of Child Abuse and Neglect | |
Series Title: | Issue Briefs |
Author(s): | Child Welfare Information Gateway. |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 254KB) Order (Free) - Add to Cart |
Year Published: | 2008 - 26 pages |
A growing number of State and local child protective services (CPS) agencies are employing some form of differential response. In these systems, families reported for suspected child abuse or neglect may receive either a traditional investigation or an assessment alternative, depending on the severity of the allegation and other considerations. This issue brief for child welfare administrators and policymakers provides an overview of differential response, highlights lessons learned through research and experience, and offers some guiding principles for implementation. |
Alternative Response Collection
National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect
Offers a database of journal articles, research, and other resources related to alternative response systems.
Alternative Response Systems (PDF - 1540 KB)
FRIENDS National Resource Center for Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention (2007)
Discusses findings from States on their involvement with alternative response systems and other child protective services innovations, ways to expand involvement on both individual and collective levels, and State needs for support and technical assistance.
Alternative Responses to Child Maltreatment : Findings from NCANDS | |
Author(s): | United States. Dept. of Health and Human Services. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation., Walter R. McDonald and Associates. Shusterman, Hollinshead, Fluke, Yuan |
Availability: | View Download (PDF - 1,290KB) |
Year Published: | 2005 - 69 pages |
This report is the second in a series of three reports, based on the Secondary Analysis On Child Abuse and Neglect Topics of Current Policy Interest. This research examined case-level data reported to the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS) by six States Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, Oklahoma, and Wyoming that offered both alternative response and traditional investigation. Case characteristics, circumstances of reports, and outcomes were examined for 313,838 children of whom 140,072 received an alternative response during 2002. Overall, the findings from the included States indicate that the use of alternative response was either increasing or ... |
Community Partnerships for Protecting Children Initiative
Center for the Study of Social Policy
Describes a community child protection initiative, including underlying principles, key strategies, and evaluation results.
Differential Response: State Enacted Legislation
National Conference of State Legislatures (2010)
Cites and describes State legislation to implement or pilot test a differential response approach to reports of child abuse or neglect. The chart addresses related issues such as central registries, services, and the reclassification of reports.
Differential Response Approach in Child Protective Services: An Analysis of State Legislative Provisions (PDF - 462 KB)
National Quality Improvement Center on Differential Response in Child Protective Services (2010)
Provides a statutory analysis of the 10 major provisions identified in differential response legislative enactments in 14 States.
Differential Response in Child Protective Services: A Guide for Judges and Judicial Officers (PDF - 1444 KB)
National Quality Improvement Center on Differential Response in Child Protective Services (2011)
Explains what differential response is; describes differential response outcomes for children, families, and agencies based on research to date; and discusses the court's role as a stakeholder in differential response.
Differential Response in Child Welfare. | |
Author(s): | American Humane Association. |
Availability: | Download (PDF - 1,870KB) |
Year Published: | 2005 - 100 pages |
While the structure for differential response intuitively makes sense, implementing such a system is complex and intricate. This double issue of "Protecting Children" fills a literature void and disseminates cutting-edge knowledge from a practice, philosophical, policy, and research perspective on the approach. The perspectives of many distinguished experts are gathered in this diverse and thought-provoking publication, which addresses: use of differential response with varying case characteristics; evaluative findings; community- and state-specific lessons surrounding implementation; and the practice, policy, and data implications. (Author abstract) |
Formal Public Child Welfare Responses to Screened-Out Reports of Alleged Maltreatment (PDF - 314 KB)
National Quality Improvement Center on Differential Response in Child Protective Services (2011)
Provides a national landscape of how State child welfare systems are responding to screened-out reports of alleged child abuse and neglect.
Getting Started With Differential Response: Fundamentals and First Steps (PDF - 5920 KB)
Kaplan & Schene (2007)
A presentation addressing important considerations for jurisdictions moving to implement differential response, including statutory changes, relating to stakeholders, preparing staff, addressing issues of assessment, engaging families and coordinating with community services.
National Study on Differential Response in Child Welfare (PDF - 3440 KB)
American Humane Association & Child Welfare League of America (2006)
Provides results from a descriptive survey on differential response, including State and county profiles on the implementation of the system.