What do cps investigators do

CPS has 30 days to complete an investigation unless extenuating circumstances require an extension. A CPS investigation must begin within 24 hours and usually includes:. CPS investigator considers the following factors during the investigation:. Disposition of the CPS Investigation. Based on the review of the above factors, CPS must determine if there is a preponderance of evidence of child abuse or neglect. Following a completed investigation, CPS will put a case in one of the following categories:.

See the Central Registry page for more information regarding central registry. Court Petitions. If necessary to ensure a child's safety, CPS may file a petition with the court requesting that the court order any of the following:.

CPS cannot remove a child from the home without a court order. The court may deny the petition, including the request for removal. Factors Considered Prior to Requesting Removal. Prior to making the decision to request that the court order removal of a child, the following is assessed:.

MCL The MDHHS must also file a petition for termination of parental rights if the parent's rights to another child were terminated in Michigan or another state and there is current cases with a finding of a preponderance of evidence of abuse or neglect.

If you are not available in person to give consent, the CPS investigator must tell you that an examination was done and must also tell you if photos were taken. If your child is feeling nervous, she can ask to have another person stay in the room to help her feel safe. Physical exam. CPS can also visually examine any other child in the home.

The purpose of this exam is to see if the child has any obvious physical injuries, such as bruises, burns, or cuts, or signs of neglect, such as malnourishment, poor hygiene, or severe diaper rash. This often happens with young children who cannot speak or clearly say what happened.

Unless your child is a baby, only a woman investigator should examine a female child, and only a man investigator should examine a male child. If this is not possible, another adult must be in the room for the exam. Sexual abuse exam. If a child has been sexually abused or severely physically abused, she will probably go to a special child advocacy center and be interviewed there.

Photos may be taken of any injuries and tests will be run to see if there was sexual abuse. Sexual abuse examinations should only be done if: i a parent has given consent; ii a judge has signed a court order allowing it; or iii CPS has conservatorship of the child. Sexual abuse examinations may only be done by a qualified doctor or nurse. A CPS investigator should never conduct a sexual abuse examination.

Medical exam. CPS may also ask for a medical exam if your child has an injury that requires treatment and you have not yet taken your child to see a doctor. The consent rules for medical exams require that you must either go to the doctor with the CPS worker or you must consent to the exam in writing.

CPS does not have to give you any notice before coming to your home. An investigator or caseworker can show up at your door any time of day. When a CPS worker comes to your door, she must tell you who she is and must ask for your consent to come into your home.

If you do not consent, she cannot enter. This is true even if the CPS worker comes with a police officer, which may happen if the CPS caseworker is worried about her own safety or if the police are doing their own investigation. Unless the police officer shows you a warrant, it is still your choice whether to allow them into your house.

You are not the only person who can consent to CPS entering your home! Any other adult living in the home can consent, and even a child can consent if the caseworker decides the child is old enough to make that decision. Even if you tell a CPS investigator that she can come into your home, you can always change your mind and tell her to leave. The CPS worker will have to leave. Also, it could be helpful to show CPS that your home is safe. On the other hand, if CPS finds anything in your house that could be a safety threat, it may be used as a reason to remove your child.

Before answering, think about what CPS will see if they walk into your house and start looking around. One option is for CPS to ask a judge for a court order allowing them into your house. Another option is that the CPS investigator may believe your child is in such a dangerous situation that she must be removed immediately.

In this case, a CPS caseworker can come into your house without your permission, but only to remove your child. Pictures of your home. If you allow a CPS investigator into your home, she might want to take pictures of your living conditions. You can expect that photos will be taken of any dangerous conditions such as broken glass, animal waste, things people use to take drugs, or weapons that are easily reached.

If you are not at home, and your child is old enough to understand and give consent or there is another adult in the home who gives consent, then CPS can take photos. Pictures of your child. If your child is dirty, very sick, or appears hungry, the investigator may take pictures to show how your child looked that day. Pictures of other evidence. A CPS investigator might go to the place where an injury occurred and take pictures.

Pictures may also be taken of physical evidence, such as a belt used to hit a child. Criminal history. CPS will run a criminal background check on you and anyone else who lives in your home. If a person living in your home has been arrested for crimes like assault or drug use, he or she may be considered a safety threat to your child. Household members who have been convicted of sexual offenses may also be considered to be a safety threat.

A long criminal history record of any kind may make CPS question your ability to provide for your child, especially if you have spent significant time in jail or will be going to jail soon.

CPS history. CPS may run child welfare checks in other states too. The investigator will be able to see if CPS has investigated you before or if you have had any other children removed. If you have been involved with other abuse or neglect reports, CPS will look at how you handled those cases. If you did not fix the problem or refused to cooperate then, this fact may make CPS more concerned about your ability to keep your child safe.

CPS will also look for patterns of abuse and neglect. If several reports have been made about you recently, the investigator will be more concerned than if only one report has been made.

School records. This information will tell CPS whether your child is absent a lot, whether he gets to school on time, how his grades are, and how he is behaving in school. Mental health or medical records. CPS may ask you to sign a release of information so they can look at the mental health or medical records of you and your child.

If you are not sure whether to sign a release form, you should talk to a lawyer. If you refuse to sign the form, CPS can ask a judge to sign a court order allowing the caseworker to view the records.

The court will set a hearing to decide whether CPS should see these records and you will be told when and where the hearing will take place. You or your lawyer can attend the hearing and tell the judge why you think CPS should not have access to the records. At the end of every investigation into abuse or neglect, CPS will label the case in one of the following ways:.

At this point, having completed the investigation and entered its findings, CPS will have several options for what to do next. Safety Planning: CPS may choose to work with you to create a safety plan that will allow your child to stay safely at home while the investigation is going on.

Both you and the CPS worker must agree on all of the terms, and you must be willing to follow the plan.

If the other parent has been violent and abusive to you, you can request to have separate safety plans from that parent.

Interviews may be held with the child, a non-offending parent, and the person suspected of sexually abusing. As part of the investigation, the child is sometimes given a physical exam for the purpose of collecting evidence or attending to medical needs. Legally admissible confessions or disclosures often must be made directly to an investigator or professional.

Interviews of the child should be held in locations where children feel safe. If the investigation indicates that a child has been sexually abused, interventions are taken to protect the child from immediate harm. Police are also involved when criminal acts have taken place. Once the child is out of immediate danger, CPS decides what kind of follow-up actions are needed to keep the child safe. Follow-up actions might include ongoing supervision by the Department of Social Services, services for the whole family, as well as for the abused child, including counseling and support programs.