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Dane County Department of Human Services |
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Child Protective Services
Description | Signs and Symptoms
| Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect
| General Eligibility Description
The Dane County Department of Human Services offers an array of services both directly and through purchase of service agencies for families and children who experience child abuse and/or neglect.
Child abuse is the physical, sexual, or emotional maltreatment of a child (ages 0 to 18) by a parent, family member, other caregiver, or non-caregiver. Physical abuse will involve cuts, broken or fractured bones, burns, internal injuries, or "severe and frequent bruising" inflicted on a child by other than accidental means. Sexual abuse will involve sexual intercourse, other sexual contact, or exploitation. Emotional abuse will involve verbal mistreatment, withholding of love or companionship, and the like. Child neglect is the failure of the parent or other caregiver to provide necessary care, including: supervision, food, clothing, shelter, and medical care - for reasons other than poverty - so as to seriously endanger the physical health of a child. Prevent Child Abuse Wisconsin - This link is to the Prevent Child Abuse Wisconsin web site that includes information on recognizing and reporting child abuse and neglect along with information and statistics. Recognizing Child Abuse and Neglect: Signs and Symptoms - This link is to a publication on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children & Families web site that defines some of the signs that may be present in the child or parent that may signal the presence of child abuse or neglect.
If you know that a child has been abused or neglected, or if you suspect that this is the case, you should report your concerns to the Department of Human Services. If you are unsure whether to report or not, call and discuss the situation with a social worker. Children require the eyes and ears of the whole community to stay safe. Please don't hesitate to call.
Am I a mandated reporter? Persons in some professions are required by law to report suspected cases of child abuse and neglect as well as those situations in which they have reason to believe that a child has been threatened with abuse or neglect or that abuse or neglect will occur. These people are called mandated reporters, and each state must list who falls into this category. Persons required to report and who intentionally fail to report may be fined and/or imprisoned. Some of those persons are listed here (according to Wisconsin statutes).
What if I'm not sure I should report? Please report! Human Services staff will make follow-up decisions. We can not protect children unless they are brought to our attention. Will the family know that I reported? State law protects reporter confidentiality. We will not disclose your name to the individuals whom you report. In rare cases reporter information is revealed in the context of court proceedings. You should not be afraid of reprisals if you report. What will happen when I report child protection concerns? Child protection reports are taken by phone by a social worker and entered into our Case Management System. The worker will ask detailed questions about your concerns including the identity and whereabouts of the family. Please be prepared with birth dates and spelling of names if you have them. The more specific you are about the concerns, the more effective our intervention. This process may take up to 20 minutes, so please have the time available when you make your call. If we need to call you back, please leave a number you can be reached at and some times you will be available. After the report is received it is screened by a supervisor. The supervisor decides whether the report warrants an assessment by a worker. Reports that are "screened out" are saved and considered if subsequent reports are received. Families open for assessment are interviewed by a social worker. If there are safety concerns for the child/ren, the worker, together with the caregivers, will come up with a safety plan for the child. Safety plans can include in-home services, the support of family members or out of home placement for the child if no other plan is possible. Will the child be removed from their family? All efforts are made to maintain children in their family home. If removal is necessary, relatives and family friends are considered prior to using foster care. Placements are not common and if they occur they are often short-term until an in-home safety plan can be put into place. Will I learn what happened? The Social Worker will write you if you are a mandated reporter. Mandated reporters are teachers, doctors, and other professional who are required by law to report suspected maltreatment. The letter will provide basic information about the intervention only, however, as state law provides for family confidentiality. The Social Worker will not write you if you are a non-mandated reporter as state law prohibits this breach of family confidentiality.
Services are geared to Dane County youth and their families.
There is no application process for children and their families who have been referred to the Department of Human Services due to allegations of abuse and/or neglect.
Child protection workers use a statewide model premised on the belief that the role and purpose of Child Protective Services is to assess family conditions, circumstances, and behaviors to determine if families need agency services to keep their children safe and to provide and coordinate such services when needed. The model reflects the following principles:
Child Protection Services Intake Services - Intake staff assess allegations of child abuse and neglect. They also assess cases regarding general child welfare concerns, i.e., children affected by serious emotional disturbance or drug affected newborns. Intake staff perform initial assessments on cases that are screened in. Once the assessment is complete, a decision is made as to whether the allegations of abuse and/or neglect are substantiated and whether to open the case formally or informally for ongoing services. Mandated reporters will receive a letter regarding the outcome of the investigation. If cases are not transferred for Ongoing Services, families are often given information about many of the purchase of service (POS) agencies that may also assist them. Safe Harbor Interview Center - One of the tools that may be used as part of the investigation process is the Safe Harbor Interview Center. CPS Ongoing Services - CPS Ongoing Services are provided once a CPS case is transferred from the Intake Social Worker to a CPS Ongoing Social Worker. The goal of the ongoing Social Worker is to assist the family to successfully complete the conditions of the court order or voluntary agreement. Assistance includes supervision and case management services including oversight of out-of-home placement situations. The level of involvement, frequency of contact, and types of services depend on the needs of the child and family, results of the family assessment and development of the case plan, the potential for further child maltreatment, what has been court ordered, and evaluation of progress toward goals. There may be referrals, as appropriate, to community-based services.
There is no cost for the majority of the services. Costs may be charged based on the ability to pay for some community-based services. If a child is placed outside the parental home, a sliding scale monthly fee is charged for the placement. Parents are sent information by Dane County fiscal representatives that help determine the amount of the fee.
Dane County Cooperative Extension - This link is to the Family Living's Child Development, Parenting, and Early Childhood Caregiver Education page for Dane County Cooperative Extension. There are links to information on parenting your preschooler, parenting the first year, parenting the second and third years, toilet training, and links to parenting newsletters. Child Welfare Information Gateway - This link to the Administration for Children & Families web site provides information on preventing and reporting child abuse and neglect. Information is also provided on promising practices and program evaluation. Prevent Child Abuse America - This link to the Prevent Child Abuse America web site is designed for parents. The site offers a number of documents from Advice to New Moms and Dads to Twelve Alternatives for Lashing Out at Your Child. Prevent Child Abuse Wisconsin - This link is to the Prevent Child Abuse Wisconsin web site that includes information on recognizing and reporting child abuse and neglect along with information and statistics. Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services - This link to the State web site provides statistics on the prevalence of child abuse and neglect in Wisconsin, as well as, offers publications on infant relinquishment.
Julie Ahnen, Child Protective Services Manager Ms. Ahnen should not be contacted with specific allegations of child abuse and neglect, instead those reports should be reported by calling: (608) 261-KIDS or 261-5437, between 7:45 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday - Friday or (608) 255-6067 after 4:30 p.m. weekdays and on weekends or holidays.
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