Mississippi Administrative Code › Title 18 - HUMAN SERVICES › Part 6 - Division of Family and Children's Services › Chapter 1 - DFCS Policy Manual › Section 18-6-1-B - INTAKE & ASSESSMENT › Section 18-6-1-B-IV - APPENDICES › Appendix 18-6-1-B-IV-A - PROCEDURE FOR SERVICE ACTIVITY

Current through June 25, 2024
Reports which may be screened out at
						intake
:
* Dirty houses or dirty children and no indication of
						life or health endangering situation. If school/day care officials report dirty
						children, they should be requested to talk to parents first. If their attempts
						to meet with parents or to correct situation fail, then accept report.
* Children inappropriately dressed and no indication of
						neglect of a life or health endangering situation.
* Allegations that speak more to the parent's behaviors
						rather than the child's condition; (e.g., parent drinks beer or takes drugs;
						mother has boyfriend) and there is no indication of neglect or life or health
						endangering situation. - Exception: All reports of mother/child testing
						positive for drugs will be screened in.
* Reports of crowded conditions or too many people
						living in a home and no indication of neglect or life or health endangering
						situation.
* Allegations that parent is not spending TANF, Food
						Stamps, Child Support or other income on children, and there is no indication
						of neglect of basic necessities, or of a life or health endangering situation.
						Reporters should be referred to local Economic Assistance office.
* Reports which suggest a need to be addressed by
						another agency and there is no indication of a life or health endangering
						situation. (i.e., lack of school attendance, presence of lice, delinquency,
						lead/asbestos poisoning). These reports should be referred to the appropriate
						agency for handling (i.e., school attendance officer, health department).
* Reports on teen pregnancy where there is no suspicion
						of abuse/neglect.
* Sufficient information is not provided to enable the
						Department to locate the family, and this information cannot be secured through
						other sources after all reasonable efforts have been made.
* Reports of incidents that occurred when a person now
						eighteen (18) or over was a child. When adults report that abuse/neglect was
						perpetrated on them as children, they must have some other information or
						reason to believe that children presently cared for by perpetrator are being
						abused/neglected.
* Reports on an unborn child and there are no other
						children at risk. Reports of sexual relations involving victims age 16 and over
						that meet all of the criteria below. If any one criteria does not apply, the
						report should be considered for investigation.
a. Alleged victim was age sixteen (16) or over at the
						time incident occurred, and
b. Alleged victim is a normally functioning child, and
c. Alleged victim, age 16 or over, willfully consented,
						and
d. Alleged perpetrator is not a parent, guardian,
						relative, custodian or person responsible for the child's care or support and
						resides in the child's home, or an employee of a residential child care
						facility licensed by MDHS, and or a person in a position of trust or authority.
e. No parental or caretaker neglect is suspected.
If a report is considered outside the jurisdiction of
						the DFCS, the report shall be documented and be referred to law enforcement of
						proper jurisdiction for investigation. Other services of the Department may be
						provided.
* Reports of rape, sexual molestation, or exploitation
						of any age child that meet all of the criteria below. If either (a) or (b) does
						not apply, the report should be considered for investigation.
a. Alleged perpetrator is not a caretaker, friend of
						caretaker, relative, other person living in the home, or employee of a child
						care facility where the child attends or lives.
b. No parental or caretaker neglect is suspected.
c. Law Enforcement has been informed of the report.
If law enforcement has not been contacted, County DFCS
						will immediately make the report to them. Other services of County DFCS will be
						offered to law enforcement (i.e., interviewing children) and the family (i.e.,
						mental health referrals, counseling) as needed.
* Reports of children who have not had their
						immunizations. Reporter should be referred to the County Health Department by
						County DFCS to contact a public health social worker or to the school
						attendance officer as appropriate.
* Threats or attempts of suicide by children if there is
						no suspicion of parental/caretaker abuse or neglect. If the nature of the
						report suggests that the child is in immediate danger of self harm, a referral
						should be made immediately to Mental Health and/or Law Enforcement. If reporter
						is a professional, they should be requested to refer the family to counseling.
						If family does not follow through, then case can be referred to DFCS for
						neglect. If reporter is a non-professional, the DFCS should determine if family
						is seeking counseling. If not, DFCS should investigate for neglect. If reporter
						feels suspicion exists just because suicide attempt was made, DFCS will
						investigate.
* Physical injury committed by one child on another that
						meet all of the following criteria:
a. Child is not in a caretaking role over the other
						child.
b. No parental or caretaker neglect is suspected.
c. Child victim and perpetrator are not in a residential
						child caring facility or a home licensed or approved by DFCS.
Additional and Duplicate Reports:
The DFCS sometimes receives additional reports regarding
						an incident or situation that has already been investigated. If a report
						regarding abuse or neglect is received and it includes any of the following
						information, it must be investigated as a new report if a DFCS Assessment is
						not currently in progress:
* A new alleged perpetrator;
* A new victim;
* A new category of child maltreatment not previously
						reported;
* A new incident involving the same type of child
						maltreatment(s).
In order to classify a report as the duplicate report
						and to screen it out for investigation, the CPS social worker must determine if
						the new information includes:
* Same alleged perpetrator(s);
* Same victim(s);
* Same types of child maltreatment(s); and
* Same incident
Before any decision is made to screen out any report as
						being the same report, the ASWS must always make sure the prior report was
						thoroughly investigated.
Second reports of abuse or neglect will not be
						investigated if it is the same report, same victim and same incident.