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Policy Manual

CHILD PROTECTIVE INVESTIGATIONS

34-5
Required Contacts During An Investigation

Policy During an investigation, specific procedures shall be followed regarding who will be interviewed, within what timeframes, and under what conditions.

Cross-Reference: 34-3-5, "Field Response"
Purpose Consistent and sustained efforts to accomplish contacts are necessary in order to
  • respond to immediate child protection issues, and
  • complete a timely and comprehensive investigation.
Documentation Regarding Contacts The worker shall include documentation of the following actions in LINK:
  • contacts completed
  • attempts to make contacts
  • supervisory decisions regarding contacts.
Contacts During the Initial Stage of Investigation The initial stage of the investigation shall include a face-to-face contact with
  • the child, and
  • the parent or person responsible for the child’s welfare.
Contacts During the Ongoing Investigation The ongoing investigation shall include the following contacts, as appropriate to the child
  • law enforcement to obtain criminal background information on all adults in the household and other adults with access to the child in the home
  • day care personnel, pre-school or school personnel, including the child’s teacher, school nurse or social worker
  • the child’s medical provider to obtain medical information regarding current and historical information
  • any community service provider known to be providing services to the family currently or within the previous twelve months
  • relatives and neighbors when evidence indicates they may have information pertinent to the investigation.

The worker shall document in LINK any circumstances which make it inappropriate to contact any of the above individuals.
Contact with the Child If the child is in imminent danger, the investigator shall make every effort to see the child immediately.

If the parent refuses entry into the home and there is reasonable cause to suspect that the child is in danger, the worker shall contact the police and request assistance.

Cross-Reference: 34-6, "Entrance to Client’s Home."
Conditions for Interviewing the Child The investigator shall conduct an interview with the child as follows:
  • coordinate investigatory activities in order to minimize the number of interviews of any child and share information with others who are authorized to conduct an investigation, as appropriate
  • obtain the consent of parent or guardian or other person responsible for the care of the child to any interview with the child, except when the Department suspects that such individual is the perpetrator of the alleged abuse or neglect.

If consent is not required, the interview shall be conducted in the presence of a disinterested adult unless immediate access to the child is necessary to protect the child from imminent risk of physical harm and a disinterested adult is not available after a reasonable search.

In all situations, the child shall be interviewed apart from the parent or person responsible for the child.
Time for Contact with Other Children All children in the home and, if appropriate, any other children of the parent or person responsible who do not reside in the home, shall be seen within three (3) working days of the start of the investigation.

If the worker is unable to interview the children within this timeframe, continued efforts shall be made to interview them in a timely manner until a supervisory conference decision determines that no additional attempts are required.

This decision shall be documented in LINK.
Inability to Complete Contact with Parent or Person Responsible When unable to complete a face-to-face contact with the parent or person responsible, the investigator shall
  • notify his/her supervisor of the inability to make contact and any other problems in conducting the investigation
  • make daily attempts to accomplish such contact
  • document all attempts in LINK.
Whereabouts Unknown of Parent or Person Responsible If the parent or person responsible is not at home at the time of the investigation visit, all reasonable efforts must be made to contact them within twenty-four (24) hours.

If their whereabouts are unknown, the worker shall make reasonable efforts to locate them by contacting any or all of the following:

 

relatives medical providers
school system Department of Corrections
day care provider Department of Mental Health
local/state police Department of Motor Vehicles
post office Department of Social Services
telephone directory Social Security
known employers others, as appropriate, per supervisory conference

 

Parent or Person Responsible Out-of-State If the parent or person responsible is out-of-state and the location is known, the investigator shall attempt to make contact with the out-of-state child protection agency within one (1) working day.

If, during the course of the investigation, the family moves out of the region or out-of-state, a report shall be sent to the appropriate region or proper out-of-state authorities.

If the parent or person responsible recently resided in another state, the investigator shall contact that state’s child protective services authorities to obtain information regarding the family’s contact with that agency.

Connecticut Department of Children and Families                               Effective Date: October 1, 1996 (Revised)