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This is a point of clarification request.
Where I am, DCF and CPS are completely different entities.
For the most part, CPS officers (they're a part of the sheriff's department) do investigations and removals. They do some work with the families while the child is still in the home, but that's not their primary responsibility.
Once a child is removed, DCF takes over the case. CPS is out of it completely.
On these boards, I see frequent comments about CPS when, where I am, CPS would not be involved. Is this forum "short hand" for "child welfare organization" or does CPS mean something different in your state?
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CPS/HSD go hand in hand....in our county. CPS does our reports of investigations. Within 2 weeks the case is handed off the an HSD(human services dept.) worker...for the length of the case. Our CPS in not part of our Police Dept. - they are a part of HSD.
DCF (to us here, means "the state") they come into play once a child's case goes to TPR (not before that). The day of TPR, they take over "guardianship" and assign thier state adoption workers. Kids are under DCF from TPR until Adoption is finalized.
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MaybeDays
Interesting. Mine is called ****** county children services. But, my FSs worker is called a "protective social worker". So I always call the county children services by CPS. Not sure if I am accurate. Here, JFS is more related to unemployment services, housing assistance and food stamps and has no relation to foster care.
As far as I know, where I am things are run by Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), which is a part of DHS (Department of Human Services). Most people here just say DHS when talking about foster care, although DCFS would be more accurate.
I'm not sure if we have any CPS...I couldn't have told you what those initials stood for before reading this thread!!
I also know our DCFS has just undergone a restructuring where they will have a "protective side" and a "foster side". My FS had to be assigned a new case worker because his current worker was being assigned to the protective side and could no longer work with the foster kids.
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Here CPS (Child Protective Services) is a part of OCFS (Office of Children and Family Services), which is a part of DHHS (Department of Health and Human Services). OCFS includes TANF, food stamps, Medicaid, child support enforcement, daycare subsidy, children's mental health, etc; CPS is the child welfare part, and the child has the same worker from investigation through RU or adoption (providing the worker doesn't quit; there aren't different investigative and permanency workers, though).
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Here it is DHS (Department of Human Services) and CPS is a branch underneath them. The "permanent" case workers are "DHS" workers. The investigators and intake workers are CPS but their business cards still just say DHS. As someone else said, in court it is "the Department". I always say "DHS".
Here in VA CPS appears to only take part in the initial investigation and removal. There was someone from CPS at our first family partnership meeting about three weeks into this placement. Since then we've heard nothing about them and DSS (Department of Social Services) has taken over and done everything else.
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LemonPie
Thank you, everyone.
With the many and varied responses, I'm now completely clear on why I'm never completely clear on which agency/department/organization people are talking about. :woohoo:
This has been a most enlightening thread for me.