Child Protective Services

Wayne County Child Protective Services or CPS promotes self-reliance of families and works to prevent abuse, neglect and/or dependency of children. Our Social Workers are dedicated to working with families and recognizing their strengths and abilities in keeping their own children safe. We realize the importance of family and the trauma children experience when separated from them.  It is our goal to partner with parents and/or caregivers in coming up with safety plans which will ensure their children are safe and their needs are being met while remaining as an intact family unit. We work to accomplish this through the following Family Centered Principles of Partnership:

  • Everyone desires respect
  • Everyone needs to be heard
  • Everyone has strengths
  • Judgments can wait
  • Partners share power
  • Partnership is a process

Child Protective Services provides the following services:

  • Intake
  • Child Abuse, Neglect & Dependency Assessments/Investigations
  • Afterhours Accessibility

Assessments/Investigations

Intake-Social Workers receive reports of alleged abuse, neglect and dependency from individuals in the community, which may include family members and community professionals such as doctors, teachers and law enforcement.  The reports are documented based on state guidelines. For a report to be accepted for assessment, the allegations in the report have to meet state requirements. Letters are sent to the person and/or agency who made the report, whether it was accepted or not, to inform them of this decision.

Assessments/Investigations-During the assessment/ investigation, the social worker will visit the family to discuss the allegations made in the report.  The social worker will make more than one visit and have contact with others, in addition to family members. At this time, the social worker will determine if there are any immediate needs of the family and will work with family members to see these needs are met.  The social worker will also determine if any child or children living in the home can remain safely in the home during the assessment. If there are safety issues/concerns found which cannot be resolved during the Assessment phase, the family will be transferred to the In Home Services unit to continue addressing the needs.

If a child cannot remain safely in a home, living arrangements will be discussed with the parent to see if a relative or someone known to the parent or parents can safely care for the child or children. If this is not possible, a petition is filed and the family is transferred for Foster Care services.  In order to place a child into foster care, a Non-Secure Petition must be completed and filed with the Wayne County courts.

Afterhours-Child Protective Services is mandated to be accessible 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. If you have concerns a child is being abused, neglected and/or is dependent and it is after 5 p.m., on the weekend or a holiday, please call (919) 705-1194 in order to page the Afterhours Social Worker.

Note: This is a pager number please leave only a name and number for contact.

When Should a Report Be Made?
Protecting children is a priority. If you suspect that a child is being abused, neglected, or is dependent please contact the Department of Social Services (DSS) at (919) 580-4034. If it is an emergency situation, please call 911; all information is kept confidential whether a name is provided or not when making reports to DSS.

 

CPS Supervisory Staff

Program Manager

Veta Ham  919-731-1099

Social Work Supervisors

Luis Carrasquillo 919-731-1062

Tanita Dew  919-731-1135
Tiffany Price 919-731-1016
Jennifer Curl 919-731-1047