Description

Responding to Suspected Child Abuse or Neglect

Child Abuse Hotline

The child abuse hotline, also called the Emergency Response (ER) hotline, is a 24 hour, 7 day a week service.

The hotline is a mandated service required by law to respond to law enforcement, hospitals, mandated reporters, and the general public when any of these entities calls to report child abuse or to get information. The hotline also provides consultation on potential referrals and provides information about community services.

ER screeners evaluate whether calls fit the guidelines for abuse and neglect, interview callers regarding the details of the report, check the department’s records for past history or for information on the family referred, and forwards calls to the case-assigning supervisor for evaluation and consideration of assignment to a Child Welfare Worker (CWW) for in-person investigation.

Emergency Response (ER)

The ER program provides initial intake services and crisis intervention to children who are reported to be endangered by abuse, neglect, or exploitation.

ER is made up of the CWWs and supervisors who staff the ER hotline and investigate referrals. The hotline screens referrals from mandated reporters, law enforcement, and the community regarding children who may have been abused. The hotline also provides information about child welfare services and community resources.

ER field CWWs interview children and other parties involved in referrals and determine what, if any, actions are necessary to protect children from further abuse. The CWWs also refer families to community or Children and Family Services department support programs, determine whether children should be, when necessary, taken into custody and placed in foster homes or other shelter care, transport children as necessary, and document the details of cases.

Dependency Investigations (DI)

Alameda County’s DI program conducts investigations of the need for dependency status for a child who is new to the system, and also evaluates and files petitions to change the dependency status of a child already in the system.

DI supports the ER program once a child has been taken into custody, or, if an ER investigation suggests the need for further investigation, of the risk to a child who has not been taken into custody. DI also provides or coordinates all the assessment and services needed during hearings associated with these activities and performs all the court related work required to find or maintain jurisdiction over a child.

Child Abuse Prevention Council

The Council is an organization established in 1978 to foster cooperative child protection efforts in Alameda County and to encourage the development and coordination of county-wide children’s services including child abuse and neglect identification, reporting, prevention, intervention, treatment, and public awareness.

The membership of the Council is composed of individuals, agencies and organizations concerned about the problem of child abuse and neglect. The Council is active in several activities which help prevent child abuse.

To find out more, visit their website at http://www.alamedasocialservices.org/public/services/community/partners/accapc/about.cfm

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