AG 1996 01 16 - Laserfiche WebLink

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NOR11t ~AR~IIN,~ 12-27-95 Mr. Jeff Barnhart, Interim County Manager Cabarms County P.O. Box 707 Concord, N.C, 28026 Dear Mr. Barnhart: I am writing in response to an inquiry you recently made on behalf of the Board of Commissioners regarding a letter to the editor which appeared in two local newspapers. The letter described the experience and concerns a local family had had around a Child Protective Services investigation which had been conducted following an incident at a school bus stop. We have reviewed and assessed this incident with the Social Services Board, which also had asked about it. As a result, and as our responding letter to the editors reflected, we have concluded that the incident at the school bus stop served to highlight a problem with State policies. We are requesting of the State that it improve two policies governing the provision of Child Protective Services to children who may be victims of child neglect or abuse. The Department and the Social Services Board feel that it would be helpful for the Board of Commissioners to communicate to the State the Board's interest in this matter and its support for the requested policy changes. State policies governing Child Protective Services have been strengthened and now provide much more effective protection to children than was the case a few years ago. However, our staff has been concerned with two policy items which, in about 10 percent of the 1100 child neglect or abuse reports received by the Department annually, cause unnecessary intrusions into families and the waste of staff time needed to protect children who actually need protection. The requested improvements in these two areas would: 1) permit county DSS's to screen and assess reports for validity as appropriate prior to initiating investigations, and 2) allow the curtailment of investigations prior to the completion of all State-mandated steps when information collected indicates that children are not being abused or neglected. County DSS staff do not currently have latitude in these areas. The Department is forwarding to the State with its request specific recommendations for report screening and curtailment of investigations as well as documentation relating to the incident at the school bus stop. Department of Social Services P,O. Box 668 * Concord, NC 28026-0668 * (704} 786-7141