When DCF receives an intake indicating a child has been placed in protective custody by law enforcement or an ex parte order, the assigned CPS specialist shall use the time available prior to the Protective Custody Hearing to exhaust all options to keep the child safely in their own home. The options considered for preventing out of home placement shall include but are not limited to:
The assigned CPS specialist shall complete a safety and risk assessment for abuse/neglect allegations or a FINA assessment for FINA allegations. The assessment shall include information from the parents including identity of potential relatives or kinship resources and what the family needs to keep the child safe in their home. Additional sources of information for the assessment shall include the family's history with DCF, other care givers, child, relatives or other kinship resources, juvenile intake and assessment, schools, other service providers and current protective custody care giver or emergency shelters, as applicable.
The assessment and/or recommendations shall be provided to the court at the time of Protective Custody Hearing. The recommendations made to the court and the outcome of the court hearing shall be documented in the DCF case file.