Department of Children, Youth & Families

Original Date: September 27, 1995

Revised Date: July 1, 2024

Sunset Review Date: July 31, 2028

Approved by: Natalie Green, Assistant Secretary of Child Welfare

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to provide guidance to child welfare intake employees when receiving and processing reports of child abuse and neglect (CA/N), imminent risk of serious harm, or requests for non-CPS services on a 24-hour basis.

Scope

This policy applies to Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) employees.

Laws

RCW 9A.16.100 Use of Force-Policy-Actions Presumed Unreasonable

RCW 13.34.030 Juvenile Court Act-Definitions

RCW 13.34.360 Transfer of Newborn to Qualified Person-Criminal Liability-Notification to Child Protective Services-Definitions

RCW 26.44.020 Abuse of Children-Definitions

RCW 26.44.030 Abuse of Children-Reports Duty and Authority to Make-Duty of Receiving Agency-Duty to Notify-Case Planning and Consultation-Penalty for Unauthorized Exchange of Information-Filing Dependency Petitions-Investigations-Interviews of Children-Records-Risk Assessment Process

RCW 46.61.687 Child Restraint System Required-Conditions-Exceptions-Penalty for Violation-Dismissal-Noncompliance Not Negligence-Immunity

Chapter 74.13 RCW Child Welfare Services

Chapter 74.15 RCW Care of Children, Expectant Mothers, Persons with Developmental Disabilities

Policy

DCYF will be available to accept reports of CA/N or imminent risk of serious harm, and receive requests for services on a 24-hour basis.
Intake workers must:
1. Gather information from referrers to:
  1. Complete intakes with allegations of CA/N or imminent risk of serious harm in FamLink.
  2. Process requests for non-CPS service intakes and send them to the appropriate programs for resources and referral consideration, e.g. Family Voluntary Services (FVS), Family Reconciliation Services (FRS), Child and Family Welfare Services (CFWS), or Licensing Division (LD).
2. Create intakes in FamLink on the date and time DCYF receives the information.
3. Follow the Indian Child Welfare (ICW) Intake policy when there is reason to know a child who is the alleged victim or identified child of a report is or may be an Indian child who is affiliated with either:
  1. A Washington State federally recognized tribe
  2. An out-of-state tribes with a Memoranda of Agreement (MOA) with Washington State.
4. Send screened in intakes related to employees, volunteers, interns, and work study students to intake supervisors immediately when they are a subject or alleged perpetrator in the report.
5. Make screening decisions using the Structured Decision Making for Intake DCYF CWP_0113 publication.
Intake area administrators (AA) or intake supervisors must make the final screening decision on intakes at the intake level.

Procedures

Intake workers must complete the following when receiving information from referrers:
1. Conduct a comprehensive interview with referrers, including making reasonable efforts to obtain their name, address, and contact information.
2. Complete FamLink person searches for all individuals, alleged victims, alleged subjects, parents, guardians, and family members listed in the intake.
3. Collect additional information when needed to determine the appropriate intake screening decision or response time. Intake workers may seek clarifying information from collateral contacts when available.
4. Process reports with allegations of CA/N that place children or youth at imminent risk of serious harm from any source and in any form, and document these in a FamLink intake. For:
  1. Sufficiency Screenings
    Screen in intakes for Child Protective Services (CPS) intervention when the following sufficiency screening criteria is met:
    1. Alleged victim is under 18 years of age.
    2. Allegation, if true, minimally meets the WAC definition of CA/N or it is alleged a child’s or youth’s circumstance places them at imminent risk of serious harm and the alleged subject is either:
      1. In the role of a parent, guardian, person acting in loco parentis, or unknown.
      2. Providing care in a facility subject to licensing by DCYF or in other state-regulated care.
  2. Allegations of CA/N or Imminent Risk of Serious Harm
    1. Document the FamLink intake utilizing the following:
      1. Chronicity Indicator
      2. Structured Decision Making for Intake DCYF CWP_0113 publication
      3. Intake Training Manual document
    2. Determine assignment to one of the following:
      1. CPS Investigation
      2. CPS Family Assessment Response (FAR)
      3. LD CPS.
    3. Screen in for a:
      1. CPS or LD CPS investigation if the allegation meets one or more of the following sufficiency screening criteria:
        A child or youth in the household or facility is having sexualized contact or engaging in sexual behaviors with other children or youth in the home that is not considered common based on childhood development. For behaviors that may be considered common for childhood development, see the Sexual Development and Behavior in Children.
        Sexual abuse or sexual exploitation.
        Serious physical abuse or serious neglect.
        Physical abuse of a child under age four, for child welfare.
        CA/N reported by a health care provider, regarding a child under age five.
        Injury or bruise on a non-mobile infant, from birth to one year of age, regardless of the explanation about how the injury or bruise occurred.
        A report is received from:
        Law enforcement (LE) or the prosecutor’s office for a criminal offense against a child or youth and the report provides reasonable cause to believe the child or youth suffered CA/N.
        LE when a parent or guardian has been arrested for criminal mistreatment of a child or youth in the fourth degree, per chapter 9A.42 RCW.
      2. CPS investigation if the allegation meets one or more of the following sufficiency screening criteria:
        There is an open dependency case involving the child or youth victim or another member of the household.
        A dependency action was closed within the previous 12 months and involved the child or youth victim or a household member who may be a parent, guardian, or caregiver of the child or youth, or another adult who resides in the home.
        An alleged victim or subject is named in three or more intakes screened in for investigation or FAR in the past 12 months.
      3. LD CPS investigation when there is an allegation of CA/N in a licensed facility or facility subject to licensing by LD, a child placing agency, or in a state-regulated facility screening as:
        Physical abuse when the use of physical restraint is alleged to be excessive or improperly applied.
        Neglect for:
        Physical assaults between two or more children or youth resulting in offsite medical attention or hospitalization.
        Sexual assaults between two or more children or youth.
        Children or youth that attempt suicide resulting in injury requiring medical attention or hospitalization.
      4. CPS FAR when it is indicated on the Structured Decision Making for Intake DCYF CWP_0113 publication.
5. Process reports with no CA/N allegations and document in a FamLink intake for screen-in CPS Risk Only reports when a child or youth is at imminent risk of serious harm and there are no CA/N allegations. These include, but are not limited to reports:
  1. From LE about a sexually aggressive youth under age eight.
  2. From the prosecutor's office about a sexually aggressive youth under age 12 who will not be prosecuted.
  3. Involving CA/N allegations against an individual age:
    1. Eighteen through 20:
      1. Residing in a state-regulated or licensed facility, or a facility subject to licensing.
      2. Enrolled in Extended Foster Care in a licensed foster home, not including supervised independent living (SIL) placements.
    2. Eighteen through 24 residing in a Juvenile Rehabilitation Division (JRD) facility.
  4. Of a child or youth at imminent risk of serious harm and one or more of the following are met, they:
    1. Have an open DCYF case.
    2. Are in the care of a licensed or unlicensed provider.
6. Screen in reports to CPS investigations made by a health care provider licensed per chapter 18.57 RCW and chapter 18.71 RCW, on the basis of an expert medical opinion that CA/N or sexual assault may have or has occurred and that the child’s or youth's safety will be seriously endangered if they return home, per RCW 26.44.030.
7. Screen in reports from anonymous referrers only when alleged CA/N or risk meets the sufficiency screening criteria and one or more of the following exists:
  1. There is a serious threat of substantial harm to a child or youth.
  2. The allegations include conduct involving a criminal offense that has occurred, or is about to occur, in which the child or youth is the victim.
  3. A household member has a prior founded report of CA/N within three years of receiving the most recent intake.
8. Inform the referrer that, if they choose to remain anonymous and the allegation is assessed at a lower risk, the intake will not be assigned for CPS investigation or FAR.
9. Screen in all reports of CA/N or imminent risk of serious harm involving a licensed facility or a facility subject to licensing, regardless of the anonymity of the referrer.
After Hours Intakes
Intake workers must complete the following for intakes received after business hours, on weekends, and state holidays:
1. Intake workers must immediately notify the intake supervisor of emergent intakes received after business hours, on weekends, and state holidays.
2. Intake supervisor must contact the after-hours supervisor or AA for an after-hours response when:
  1. A child or youth is in present or impending danger.
  2. An emergent face-to-face cannot be completed during normal business hours.
Timeframes for Intakes
Intake workers must complete intakes following these timeframes and intake pathways:
1. Four hours:
  1. Emergent CPS, FVS, CFWS emergent placements, and transfers of newborns to qualified persons
  2. CPS Risk Only
  3. LD CPS and LD CPS Risk Only
  4. FRS
2. Four business hours, i.e., 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays:
  1. Non-Emergent CPS Investigation
  2. CPS FAR
  3. Non-Emergent LD CPS
3. Two business days, i.e., 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays:
  1. CPS screen-out
  2. Third Party
  3. CFWS
  4. FVS, non-CPS request for services
  5. Rule Infraction
  6. ICPC home study request, per the ICPC Placed in Washington State policy.
Health Care Provider Referrals on Newborns Birth to One Month
Intake workers must complete the following when receiving referrals from health care providers:
1. Screen in reports involving newborns diagnosed with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) or neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS), exposed to or affected by substances, including alcohol, cannabis, prescription medications, and any drug with abuse potential to the following:
  1. CPS Risk Only when there is no CA/N allegation, but the risk factors indicate imminent risk of serious harm.
  2. CPS investigation, CPS FAR, or LD CPS investigation when there is a CA/N allegation.
2. Screen out reports involving newborns when there are no allegations of CA/N or imminent risk of serious harm using the community Plan of Safe Care Pathway, when they are born exposed to or affected by:
  1. Methadone or buprenorphine and a health care provider verified that their birth parent is taking it as prescribed.
  2. Opioids and a health care provider verified that their birth parent is taking it as prescribed.
  3. Medications or a combination of medications with abuse potential and a health care provider verified that their birth parent is taking them as prescribed.
  4. Cannabis.
Universal Domestic Violence (DV) Screening
Intake workers must:
1. Complete the universal DV screen on all intakes by asking the following screening questions, “Has any adult used or threatened to use physical force against an adult in the home?” If so, the intake worker must ask, “Who did what to whom?”
2. Offer DV resource information to the referrer on all screened-in or out intakes when DV is identified and the referrer is not familiar with DV resources. Resource information is located on the following websites:
  1. Washington State Coalition Against DV
  2. Department of Social and Health Services DV
3. Document in FamLink, per the Intake Training Manual document.
Commercially Sexually Exploited Children (CSEC)
Intake workers must complete the following for referrals involving suspected or confirmed allegations of CSEC:
1. Complete the intake CSEC screening question by asking the referrer “Do you suspect the child or youth is a victim of commercial sexual exploitation?” If yes, the explanation must be documented in the narrative box.
2. Assign all intakes with suspected or confirmed allegations of CSEC to CPS or LD CPS investigations when:
  1. There are allegations of CA/N.
  2. The alleged subject is a parent, guardian, legal custodian, or acting in loco-parentis.
3. Follow regional protocol to verify that LE is notified within 24 hours of the time the intake is received on all suspected or confirmed CSEC-related intakes when there is reasonable cause to believe a crime has been committed. The intake worker will notify the LE agency with jurisdiction when the 24-hour notification requirement cannot be met by caseworkers or the field supervisor managing the straw assignments.
Unregulated Child Custody Transfers
Intake workers receiving reports alleging unregulated custody transfers of adopted children or youth have occurred, must:
1. Follow the Intake Training Manual document when reports are received alleging unregulated custody transfers of adopted children or youth.
2. Complete intake screening decisions following Procedures 1.c.
Request for Services (Non-CPS)
Intake workers receiving requests for services for families, children, or youth who do not have allegations of CA/N or imminent risk of serious harm must:
1. Document the intake in FamLink.
2. Process the following requests for services by screening in intakes for:
  1. FVS when a parent or guardian requests:
    1. In-home services.
    2. Temporary placement of a child or youth.
  2. FRS when receiving a request:
    1. For a youth age 12 through 17, for either a family assessment for:
      1. A Child in Need of Services (CHINS)
      2. An At-Risk Youth (ARY) petition
    2. From a youth age 12 through 17, parent or guardian, caregiver, LE, Tribal or DCYF caseworker, HOPE Center, Crisis Residential Center (CRC), or Overnight Youth Shelter (OYS) employee and:
      1. A family member is experiencing immediate family crisis due to conflict or a youth exhibiting high risk behaviors.
      2. They request immediate assistance from DCYF.
  3. CRCs, OYSs, or host homes making reports involving a runaway youth when there are no allegations of CA/N:
    1. FRS for youth age 12 and older.
    2. FVS for youth age 11 and younger.
  4. CSEC services for the youth, when requests are received from the youth, parent, guardian, or community member:
    1. FRS for youth age 12 and older.
    2. FVS for youth age 11 and younger.
  5. CFWS when:
    1. Services are requested for a family, child, or youth, the request is appropriate, and services are available. The caregiver, child, youth, provider, community member, or other child welfare agency may make a service request.
    2. A parent transfers a newborn, birth to 72-hours old, anonymously at a hospital emergency room, open fire station, or federally designated rural health clinic during its hours of operation and personnel are present to accept the infant, per RCW 13.34.360.
    3. Parents or guardians request emergent temporary placement for children or youth.
  6. Extended Foster Care (EFC) for youth age 18 through 20 who are requesting services and were dependent on their 18th birthday. This includes dependent youth who are in the custody of JRD, DOC, county detention, or jail and who otherwise meet the eligibility criteria. The intake is assigned to the local office in the nearest area where the youth currently resides.
  7. Non-CPS rule infraction reports on:
    1. LD licensed homes or facilities.
    2. Illegally operating child care or foster homes.
    3. State regulated facilities for children, youth, and young adults.
  8. Title IV-E and non-Title IV-E Tribal Placement or Payment Only on all tribal payment requests, for both open and closed cases, unless it is a modification to an existing payment-only case.
LE Child Welfare Checks
Intake workers must complete the following if there is an indication the child or youth may be in present danger and a LE child welfare check may be needed:
1. Consult immediately with the intake supervisor.
2. Follow policies:
  1. Present Danger
  2. DCYF Administrative 2.0 Mandatory Reporting Requirements
Alerts and Requests from Other States
Intake workers must generate intakes when alerts or requests are received from another state by:
1. Screening in intakes when the child or youth is:
  1. In Washington State and there:
    1. Are allegations of CA/N that occurred in Washington State meeting the sufficiency screen.
    2. Is imminent risk of serious harm.
  2. Alleged to have been abused or neglected during a recent visit in Washington State with a parent, guardian, or caregiver who:
    1. Has ongoing contact with the child or youth.
    2. Is a resident of Washington State.
    3. Returned the child or youth to the other parent, guardian, or caregiver out-of-state at the time of the intake.
2. Screening out intakes:
  1. When it is determined the child or youth is not in Washington State and there are no allegations of CA/N occurring in Washington State.
  2. With requests for courtesy home walkthroughs or child welfare checks for a child or youth residing in Washington State, if there are no allegations of CA/N or imminent risk of harm and refer to appropriate resources, e.g., Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC) or a local office to refer to LE.
Contracted Providers Intakes
Intake workers must:
1. Screen out CPS intakes for:
  1. Contracted providers not acting as any of the following:
    1. Parent
    2. Guardian
    3. Loco-parentis
  2. Individuals that do not have a DCYF license as a third party and send to the local office to refer to LE if an alleged crime has been committed.
2. Contact the contracts manager using Survey Monkey Complaint Tool when receiving non-CPS complaints regarding contracted providers that do not have a DCYF license.
3. Notify the DCYF headquarters contracts manager when made aware of a screened in CPS intake related to either of the following individuals or their biological family:
  1. A contracted provider who is not licensed or subject to be licensed by DCYF.
  2. An employee or sub-contractor of the provider.
Information for Referrers
Intake workers must:
1. Provide assurance to referrers that DCYF will make all legal and reasonable efforts to maintain their confidentiality.
2. Inform referrers:
  1. Their names may be disclosed for:
    1. Court proceedings.
    2. Dependency or criminal court proceedings.
    3. Criminal investigations by LE including malicious or false reporting.
    4. Court ordered disclosure.
  2. That reports or testimony made in good faith have immunity under RCW 26.44.060.
Additional Intake Requirements
Intake workers must:
1. Generate and submit the following to their supervisor:
  1. Intakes regardless of where the child or youth resides in Washington State.
  2. A new intake on an open case when a report is received alleging new CA/N or imminent risk of serious harm.
  3. An intake when reports are received regarding a pregnant woman’s alleged abuse of substances, e.g. alcohol, cannabis, prescription medications, or another drug with abuse potential. The intake may be screened-out, when there are no CA/N allegations or imminent risk of serious harm to children or youth in her care.
  4. A new screened out intake when caseworkers receive additional reports of the same CA/N allegations that are already documented in an intake, excluding facility-related intakes, and:
    1. Select the reason code option of “Allegation Documented in Previous Intake.”
    2. Include the previous intake number in the explanation dialogue box in the FamLink Decision tab.
2. Identify a youth as a subject only when they are the parent of the alleged victim.
3. Complete the following when a child or youth is reported to intake as Missing from Care (MFC).
  1. Notify caseworkers and their supervisors.
  2. Refer to the Intake Training Manual document for notification details.
  3. Document the notification in a FamLink case note.
4. Follow the:
  1. Photograph Documentation policy when a photograph is received.
  2. Audio Recording policy when an audio recording is received.
5. Respond to inquiry only calls by providing resource information as requested and available. Inquiry only calls are not documented in FamLink and do not require screening, because there is no CA/N allegation, concern, or request for services specific to DCYF.
Intakes Alleging Abuse or Neglect by Employees, Volunteers, Interns, and Work Study Students
1. Intake supervisors must complete the following for intakes alleging DCYF employees, volunteers, interns, or work study students as a subject of CA/N when they are:
  1. A parent, guardian, or acting in loco parentis:
    1. Screen in reports of CA/N or imminent risk of serious harm.
    2. Immediately notify the intake AA or designee and follow their direction.
    3. Create and restrict the case and provider in their name, per the DCYF Administrative 13.06 Records Management and Retention policy.
  2. Working for DCYF and the allegation occurs when conducting their job duties:
    1. Screen out as a third-party intake and send the intake to the local office to refer to LE if the alleged incident is a crime.
    2. Immediately notify the intake AA or designee and follow their direction.
    3. Create and restrict the case in their name, per the DCYF Administrative 13.06 Records Management and Retention policy.
2. Intake AAs must:
  1. Notify appointing authorities or designees when notified of intakes involving employees, volunteers, interns, and work study students.
  2. Provide direction to intake supervisors.
  3. Attach the intake to the email.
  4. Indicate if the referral was sent to LE.
3. Appointing authorities notified of an intake involving their employees, volunteers, interns, and work study students must follow DCYF Administrative 2.01 Reporting Child, Youth, and Vulnerable Adult Abuse policy.
Intake supervisors must complete the following for intakes:
1. Review all intakes to make a final screening decision based on information in the intake and FamLink, and critical thinking that balances child safety, risk, and mitigating factors.
2. Assign them to the appropriate pathway.
3. Confirm all previous allegations were documented by intake workers when additional reports of the same CA/N allegations are received.
4. Restrict case or provider records as required per the DCYF Administrative 13.06 Records Management and Retention policy when documenting an intake.
5. Review case history and current allegations on all intakes.
6. Determine if:
  1. Cumulative harm exists, per RCW 26.44.020(18).
  2. Either of the following is necessary to gather additional information to make a final screening decision:
    1. Call back to the referrer.
    2. Collateral contact.
7. Review FamLink desktop alerts during their shift prior to clearing intakes. If there is an alert on a child or youth identified in the intake, notify the assigned office immediately.
8. Document intake time frame extensions explaining the rationale within seven calendar days of approving the extensions. Extensions are not to exceed two hours and are approved only by intake supervisors to allow intake workers additional time to complete:
  1. Collateral contacts.
  2. Gather additional information.