How is child protective services funded
1300 Fiscal Requirements
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CPS 96-8
Management Policy
The Child Protective Services Program is financed by federal, state, and local funds. Child protective services staff in most counties manages funds for the care and protection of children and the administration of child protective programs. To ensure accountability, staff must follow the procedures outlined in Section 1300 for managing and reporting the funds.
1310 Federal Funds
CPS 96-8
Management Policy
Federal funding for the program is from Title IV-A, Title IV-B, Title IV-E, Title XIX, and Title XX of the Social Security Act; and under PL 93-247.
Cross-reference: See Section 8000, Purchased Protective Services, for information about purchased services.
1320 State Funds
CPS 96-8
Law
State funding for the program is provided through the Legislative Appropriations Act.
1330 Local Funds
CPS 96-8
Management Policy
Local funding for the program is from
• public or private agencies or individuals; and
• the county, through child welfare contracts.
Cross-reference: See Item 1132, County Governments.
Local funds are received from cities; counties; child support or other payments from parents or relatives; RSDI, Veteran's Administration, or other pensions; SSI; Title IV-E and state-paid reimbursements for foster care; community groups; or other public or private sources.
Local funds are considered as either public local funds or private local funds. These are explained in Item 1331 and Item 1332.
1331 Public Local Funds
CPS 96-8
Management Policy
Public local funds are funds from cities or counties which are received by or budgeted for expenditure on behalf of the local child protective services units or child welfare boards. These funds are not actually received by DFPS staff or child welfare boards. The city or county pays these funds on behalf of the program. Title IV-E and state-paid foster care reimbursements become public local funds when they are received by the county from DFPS.
The county uses the reimbursements for child welfare services or includes them in the county's general revenue fund.
Public funds are usually given for a specific purpose or type of service and for a specific period of time. Counties or child protective services units must indicate in accounting records that the county or unit spent the funds according to the directions of the city, county, and child welfare board. According to the child welfare contract, a child's Title IV-E or state-paid foster care payments must be spent for the child. Any unspent public funds may revert to the city or county treasury, may be reallocated to the local unit, or may remain in the local unit's operating funds, depending on the policies or decisions of county or city officials.
1332 Private Local Funds
CPS 96-8
Management Policy
Private local funds are funds received by local child protective services units or child welfare boards from sources other than cities or counties.
This includes SSI payments, VA and social security benefits, child support and other payments from parents, and civic contributions.
1332.1 Funds Received on Behalf of a Child
CPS March 2016
Funds received on behalf of the child are spent in accordance with applicable federal law and guidance if the funds are from a federal source and applicable state law if the payment source is other than the federal government. Funds that have been designated for supporting the child (for example child support payments and monthly SSI and RSDI payments) are used to pay for the child's cost of care.
Texas Family Code §264.109
20 C.F.R.§416.640; 20 C.F.R.§404.2040
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Introduction to Child Welfare Funding
Funding for State and Tribal child welfare agencies helps ensure the safety, permanency, and well-being of children, youth, and families. The types of child welfare services provided by States and counties vary and include family support and preservation services; child abuse prevention; and supports for out-of-home care, adoption, and guardianship.
The way child welfare agencies fund their services also varies, coming from a mix of Federal, State, and local sources.
Some funding streams used for child welfare are dedicated solely for child welfare purposes, while others are designated for broader purposes.
The largest Federal source of child welfare funding is title IV-E of the Social Security Act, which supports foster care, adoption assistance, guardianship assistance programs, and John. H. Chafee Foster Care Independence Programs. In the past, title IV-E waivers allowed States and Tribes to use title IV-E funds to operate demonstration projects to serve children in out-of-home care or, in some instances, to prevent the need for foster care. Now, with the passage of the Family First Prevention Services Act, these waivers are expiring. The Family First Transition Act, passed in 2019, provides one-time, flexible funding to help States and Tribes implement Family First, as well as short-term funding for States with expiring title IV-E waivers.
Federal funds are also provided through the Children's Bureau, which administers several Federal programs dedicated to child welfare services and prevention:
- Child Welfare Services: Title IV-B, Subpart 1 of the Social Security Act
Provides grants to States and Tribes to keep families together and help prevent the removal of children from their homes. - Promoting Safe and Stable Families: Title IV-B, Subpart 2, of the Social Security Act
Funds family preservation and community-based family support programs, time-limited family reunification services, and adoption promotion and support services. - Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act Discretionary Funds Program
Supports research on the causes, prevention, and treatment of child abuse and neglect; demonstration programs to identify the best means of preventing maltreatment and treating troubled families; and the development and implementation of training programs.
- Community-Based Child Abuse Prevention (CBCAP) Grants
Title II of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act authorizes a State grant program to develop, operate, expand, and enhance community-based, prevention-focused programs and activities designed to strengthen and support families to prevent child abuse and neglect.
Many States rely on other funding streams not specifically targeted for child welfare activities to fund child abuse prevention and other services. These include the following:
- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program
- Social Services Block Grant
- Supplemental Security Income program
- Medicaid
Each of these programs has different guidelines that govern States' ability to use these funds for child abuse prevention activities. Policymakers and State and local child welfare decision-makers must determine how best to use local dollars for child welfare funding.
The resources on this page provide an overview on how funding is used for programs and services across the child welfare system.
Child Welfare Financing
National Conference of State Legislatures (2019)
Presents an interactive graphic demonstrating the complicated funding streams used on child welfare services across the United States.
Child Welfare Financing 101 (PDF - 1,178 KB)
Child Trends (2019)
Showcases a visual of Federal child welfare spending versus State and local spending and describes the variety of sources that support child welfare activities. The resource also includes a chart that describes how States use different combinations of funding and how their funding sources can vary.
Child Welfare Financing Survey SFY 2018
Child Trends (2021)
Offers a collection of reports and State-level data on child welfare funding, including a survey of child welfare agency expenditures, webinars, infographics, and more.
Child Welfare Funding
National Child Welfare Resource Center for Tribes
Describes child welfare funding for Tribes and provides a graphic of a spending breakdown and links to related funding information.
Child Welfare Funding in FY2018 (PDF - 995 KB)
Stoltzfus (2018)
Congressional Research Service
Outlines an overview of Federal child welfare funding in fiscal year 2018 and describes funds for different purposes.
Child Welfare Policy Primer: A Guide for Advocates, Policymakers, and Others Interested in Child Welfare Policy Reform (PDF - 511 KB)
First Focus (2017)
Provides an overview of the child welfare system, including funding streams, key trends in the field, a list of organizations working in the field, and additional resources.
How States Fund Child Welfare Activities
Child Trends (2016)
Offers a factsheet on child welfare funding that explores how agencies pay for child welfare services, including funding challenges and best practices.
A Primer on Title IV-E Funding for Child Welfare
Child Trends (2016)
Outlines Federal funding for child welfare agencies through title IV-E of the Social Security Act and how States use it.
State and Tribal Funding
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Children's Bureau (2020)
Explains Children's Bureau funding for States, Tribes, and communities, including title IV-E programs, title IV-B programs, and Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act programs.
What Are Some of the Foundational Elements, Strategies, and Opportunities for Child Welfare Financing? [Webinar]
Casey Family Programs (2018)
Presents a three-part webinar series on child welfare funding and decision-making regarding child welfare financing.
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Child protection
Every child has the right to a happy and safe childhood.
Child protection functions are the responsibility of the communes, whose social workers provide assistance to children and parents in problem situations. The state tries to intervene in problem situations at an early stage, before they reach too serious proportions.
Child protection services are always a last resort. This means that before contacting the child protection service, the child and the family are supported, for example, at school or in counseling.
Interactions with child protection services begin with a statement about the need to protect the child. The family itself can turn to the child protection authorities for help. Anyone who cares about the well-being of a child can apply for a child protection need. For example, child protection authorities may be contacted by the child's teacher.
Sometimes parents are unable to take care of the well-being of their child, and then society is obliged to intervene in the situation in the family. The most important thing in child protection activities is the interests of the child.
Child Protective Services provides support to families in difficult situations
The family itself can contact Child Protective Services, for example, when the parents experience physical and mental fatigue or when the family is going through a difficult period due to some changes. Child Protective Services also comes to the rescue when a child or teenager is abusing alcohol or drugs or committing offenses or crimes.
Child Protective Services has many ways to help families. First of all, outpatient support methods are used, which makes it possible for the child to live at home with his family. The social worker can, for example, organize home care for the family or assign a support contact to the family.
If there is violence or alcohol or drug use in the family, a child protection social worker will intervene. If it is not safe for the child to live at home, or if the situation around the child is extremely serious, a decision may be made to place the child in care elsewhere or to remove the child from the family.
However, the child is always first tried to be helped in such a way that he can live in his home with his family.
Child protection activities based on law
Child protection activities are based on the Child Protection Act and international agreements. The Child Protection Act applies to all children living in Finland, regardless of their nationality, religion or culture.
External link Ministry of Social Affairs and Health
Child protection External link
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External link lastensuojelu.info
Child protection information External link
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External LinkFinlex
Child Protection Act External Link
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Client relationships with welfare or child protection services often begin with the parents or the child contacting the welfare or child protection agency for help.
This relationship may also begin with school or kindergarten staff, together with the child's parents, contacting a welfare worker to assess the need for assistance. A notice to Child Protective Services may also initiate such a relationship.
An anonymous child protection statement can be made by anyone who is concerned about the well-being of a child. Officials working with children are required to tell Child Protective Services if they have concerns about a child's well-being. As a rule, professionals discuss this issue first with the family. The police file a complaint if the minor committed a crime, used drugs, or was present during a domestic violence situation.
What could be the reasons for the need for help?
- A major change is taking place in the life of the family, affecting all its members.
- Parents suffer from fatigue, illness, depression, mental illness.
- Parents use drugs and alcohol, often and in large quantities.
- There are cases of domestic violence.
- The child or adolescent engages in activities that are dangerous or harmful to him/herself, such as using alcohol or drugs, breaking the law, or not attending school.
- The child bears too much responsibility for the life of the family for his age, for example, due to the illness of his parents.
What follows the application or notification?
The social worker carefully evaluates each notice and application and then, in most cases, begins the process of assessing the situation of the child and family. Depending on the situation of the child and the family, the assessment may consist of determining the need for social assistance, indicated in the social security law, or determining the need for child protection.
In most cases, the worker contacts the family and invites the parents and children to discuss the situation. During the evaluation process, there may be several meetings, which can be organized either at the social service office or at the kindergarten, school or family home.
For complete clarity of what is happening for both parties, it is possible to use an interpreter. The meetings discuss the reasons for the application and possible ways to help the child and family. During the assessment process, it is not uncommon for the worker to meet with the child without the presence of the parents. The situation of the child and the family is assessed as broadly as necessary. At the request of the family, cooperation can be offered to other relatives of the child or relatives.
An assessment of the situation of the family and the child may be the reason for registering the family as a client of a social or child protection service.
If the child and family plan to use the services and support of the social service, and they do not need the help of the child protection service, then for the duration of their status as a client of the social service, their own curator is assigned - a responsible employee. Client relationships with social security services are voluntary.
If the situation of the family and the child requires the support of a child protection service, the child becomes a client of the child protection service. In this case, a specially appointed social worker supervising the child's case is responsible for managing the child's case. If, based on an assessment of the need for social assistance or the need to protect a child, service workers have concerns about the condition or situation of a child, then he can be enrolled in child protection services also in such a situation when he and his parents do not consider it necessary. The status of a client of a social service or child protection service is not assigned if, according to the results of the assessment, there are no reasons for concern, and the child, as well as the family, does not need support.
At the beginning of a social service client relationship, the child and family can receive support, for example, through social advice and counseling, financial support, home services, family work, and the provision of a support specialist or support family.
