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:

Collecting Information

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.

Informing Those Involved

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

Providing Services

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.

Coordination

If the report is not about child abuse or neglect but involves some other issues, we forward the information to the Minnesota Department of Human Services Licensing Division or other licensing agencies for possible investigation of licensing violations. We coordinate the investigation with responsible licensing agencies, if necessary.

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 notify the parents and the agency that placed the alleged victim before we interview the children, and may notify parents of children in the facility but who are not the alleged victim.

Collecting Information

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.

Informing Those Involved

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

Provision of Services

FAQs

When should child abuse or neglect be reported?

You should report if you know or suspect that a child is being abused or neglected or has been abused or neglected within the past three years. If you are unsure whether or not to report, call Washington County Child Protection Intake at 651-430-6457 and a screener will assist you.

Who should report child abuse or neglect?

Any person can voluntarily report if they know or suspect that a child is being abused or neglected or has been abused or neglected in the past three years. If you are a mandated reporter and you know or suspect that a child is being abused or neglected or has been subjected to abuse or neglect within the past three years, you are required by law to report that information. The reporter’s name is confidential, accessible only if the reporter consents or by a court order.

Why should I report?

Your report may help prevent future harm or maltreatment of a child. Child abuse and neglect affects not only the child and the family, but the community and society as a whole.

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Child Protection Investigations