Taking a different approach.

• Author: Crane, Kelly
• Position: IN BRIEF: FOSTER CARE

States are looking for innovative ways to cope with the 1 million cases of child abuse that flood in each year. Instead of a "one size fits all" approach in child welfare, they are looking for better ways to use their staff and community resources.

One method, referred to as differential response or alternative response, is being used in a number of state child protective service programs. It allows use of more than one approach to handle initial accepted reports of child abuse or neglect.

Differential response allows protective service workers to consider factors such as the type and severity of the reported abuse and the age of the child. It also takes into account the willingness of parents to participate in services, such as counseling, parenting classes or drug treatment.

Responses can range from a full investigation when there is an allegation of severe abuse to a thorough assessment of the family's needs when the allegation of risk is low to moderate. In contrast, the traditional approach is to conduct a formal investigation whenever an allegation is made and it ends with a determination of whether child abuse or neglect took place.

"Differential response has the promising goal of better protecting more children over time by engaging parents in the process of making sustainable changes to keep their children safe," says Caren Kaplan, director of Child Protection Reform for the American Humane Association.

The first two states to pass legislation using differential response--Florida and Missouri--have had varied success.

Florida created a tiered approach that sent serious cases of abuse or neglect to the police for investigation and less severe cases to the appropriate treatment and services, which could include mental health and substance abuse services, counseling and more. Missouri allows families identified at low to moderate risk of abuse or neglect to voluntarily sign up for services.

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Missouri decided to expand its approach statewide after trying a pilot program in 14 counties. The approach has served as a model for differential response in other states. Florida, which also expanded its practice statewide after pilot programs, found that its application was inconsistent when it was expanded to the entire state. The state ultimately ended its differential response approach for a variety of reasons, including budget constraints. However, there have been recent efforts to reinstate their differential response...