26 Unit 1 Children and Families in Today’s World Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. states, children may receive medical help without parental consent. Children have gained rights, too. Examples are the rights of due process and fair treatment in schools and juvenile and family courts. In some Because of deep concern for the welfare of children and their parents, each state has created an agency called Child Protective Services (CPS) or a child protection office under various titles within the state’s Department of Human Services. The authority to provide certain services is vested in each agency through state laws and government policies. The men and women who work in these agen- cies are caseworkers trained in social work. Besides their initial training, caseworkers can receive addi- tional training specific to their jurisdictions through the National Resource Center for Child Protective Services (NRCCPS). This training is funded by the Children’s Bureau, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. What are the basic responsibilities of caseworkers for CPS? Their roles include • providing services to families in their homes. Caseworkers focus on family strengths and provide parents with assistance when needed to protect children within their home. • investigating reports of child neglect and abuse. If the reports are substantiated (found true), they can decide whether to remove children immediately or provide the parents with assistance and continue follow-up visits. • placing children in the state’s foster care program. Caseworkers receive children who are abandoned, children they remove from homes, and children police remove from homes. They screen parents who have applied for the role of foster parents. Caseworkers also regularly visit foster homes after child placement. • placing children in adoptive homes. In order to do this, parents either surrender their rights or caseworkers decide after a period of time that Child Protective Services Research Activity these children’s parents will likely never be able to provide safe homes. They screen parents who have applied to be adoptive parents. (The courts make all final adoption decrees.) • providing assistance to teens as they age- out of the foster care system and make a transition to independent living as adults. This assistance is primarily counseling in nature. In many states, the work of the CPS is coordi- nated with agencies or offices of child care assis- tance. These agencies provide financial help to pay for child care so teenage and low-income parents can get an education or work. CPS is also coordinated with child support enforcement. (Enforces monetary decisions made by the courts on behalf of children when parents have never married, separated, or divorced.) Caseworkers with social work training do the needed investigations. After the investigations, enforcement of child support decisions are done by the courts. Using online or print sources, conduct research to learn more about Child Protective Services in your community. Then, answer the following questions: 1. What services does Child Protective Services provide for your community? 2. What are the qualifications for becoming a CPS caseworker? 3. What should a person do if he or she is concerned for the welfare of a child? 4. How does CPS handle cases where a child’s rights are being violated?