Family Services believes that all families have strengths that keep their children safe and we work in collaboration with the family to identify the past harms, potential future danger, strengths, existing safety, safety goals and steps to take in order to increase family safety and wellbeing.
Yellow Medicine County Family Service Center is responsible for screening, assessing and investigating reports of child maltreatment and providing ongoing case management services. Once a report is screened in, there are two responses:
Investigative
Investigations are designed to respond to reports of substantial child endangerment and neglect of children. Reports of child maltreatment that allege substantial child endangerment must receive an investigation. “Investigation” means fact finding related to the current safety of the child and the risk of subsequent maltreatment that determines whether child maltreatment occurred and whether child protective services are needed. M.S. 626.556, Subd. 2.
Family Assessment
Reports not involving substantial child maltreatment may be assigned as a family assessment. A “Family Assessment” means a comprehensive assessment of child safety, risk of subsequent child maltreatment and the family’s strengths and needs as applied to a child maltreatment report that does not allege substantial child endangerment. Family assessment does not include a determination as to whether child maltreatment occurred but does determine the need to address the safety to family members and the risk of subsequent maltreatment. M.S. 626.556, Subd. 1
If services are determined to be needed to obtain safety for a child, Child Protection Case Management will be provided to the family.
Case Management services may consist of:
Information and Referral Services providing information on available services and assisting the setting up of services with the family.
Identification of Strengths and Needs through on-going assessment, working with the family to identify protective factors and strengths, developing goals to increase the safety of the children. The case manager will work with the family identifying a support network to develop a Family Safety Plan.
Mandated and voluntary reports can report suspected child maltreatment within 24 hours to the local Law Enforcement or to child protection intake at (320) 564-2211.