The Mission of Child and Family Services is to protect children at risk of abuse, neglect, or depend

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Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect Salt Lake
Valley Region Division of Child and Family
Services
The Mission of Child and Family Services is to
protect children at risk of abuse, neglect, or
dependency. We do this by working with families
to provide safety, nurturing, and permanence. We
lead in a partnership with the community in this
effort.
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When to report
Making the call
What to expect
Ongoing DCFS services
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When to report
Anyone Reason to believe Class B Misdemeanor
Utah Code 62A-4a-403
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When to report
Signs of abuse (child) Injury, withdrawal,
unusual sexual behavior, aggression, changes in
behavior, strained relationships, fearful, bed
wetting, passivity, suicidal
Signs of neglect (child) Hunger, stealing,
unsupervised, not clothed for weather, odor,
reports care of self
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When to report
Signs of abuse (adult) Blames child, harsh
discipline, secretive, controlling, rejects
child, sees child as bad, history of abuse as
child, domestic violence
Signs of neglect (adult) Indifference,
depression, substance abuse, irrational behavior,
unrealistic expectations, child meeting adults
needs
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When to report
What is Abuse, Neglect, Dependency
What isnt Poverty, Homelessness, Differences
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Making the call
24 hour reporting hotline Salt Lake
281-5151 Statewide 1-800-678-9399
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Making the call

• Information
• Detailed nature of concern (who, what, where,
  when, how)
• A way to locate the child
• Names, DOBs, addresses, etc.

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What to expect

• Anonymity
• Notification if not accepted as a case
• Priority response (1,2,3)

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What to expect

• Interview with child
• Interview with parents
• Interview collateral contact/s
• Home visit (most cases)
• Finding (supported, unsupported, without merit,
  false report)
• Notify referent at closure
• Findings can be appealed

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Ongoing DCFS services

• Possible services when needed
• Refer to community based services
• Offer voluntary in-home services
• Seek court-ordered in-home services
• Removal of child into substitute care

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Ongoing DCFS services

• Overview of local services in 2007
• 16,113 hotline calls
• 8,216 cps cases
• 3,334 supported
• 2,733 ongoing, in-home cases
• 720 children entered foster care

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Any questions?
The test of the morality of a society is what it
does for its children. --Dietrich Bonhoeffer