The Children's Services division of HCJFS is one piece of a larger child
protection system that includes:
-
Hamilton County
Juvenile Court
-
law enforcement
agencies
-
Mayerson Center for
Safe & Healthy Children
-
service providers
across Hamilton County
-
residents of Hamilton
County
By law, Children's Services
must take and investigate allegations of child abuse and neglect. Residents
and other professionals who suspect abuse and/or neglect should call
241-KIDS, Hamilton County's 24-hour line.
Our partners in the community
Children's Services
partners with a number of organizations and county agencies to keep Hamilton
County's children safe, including:
- Hamilton County
Sheriff's Department
- Hamilton County
Prosecutor's Office
- Hamilton County
Juvenile Court
- various county boards
and agencies
- Alcohol and Drug
Addiction Services Board
- Community Mental
Health Services Board
- domestic violence
programs
- parenting training
courses
- emergency housing
Why does child abuse and neglect
happen?
There are many possible
reasons. Parents or caregivers can have a substance abuse problem or
untreated mental illness. They might also lack skills or feel overwhelmed.
 Regardless of the reason,
Children's Services caseworkers' primary interest is the safety of the
children. Caseworkers try to help parents and/or caregivers deal with issues that
have led to cases of child abuse and neglect. This help may involve setting
up temporary homes for children while parents get counseling or other
services aimed at improving the safety of their children at home.
Whatever the plan worked
out for the parents or caregiver, the goal is to keep the
family together whenever possible.
What are some examples of child
abuse and neglect?
There are many examples of
child abuse and neglect:
- 3-year-old left home
alone
- explanations for
injuries that don't fit the injury (non-accidental injury)
- hazardous home
conditions
- adult sexual contact
with a child
If you notice something
like this, or if you have a question about something you think could be
abuse or neglect, call 241-KIDS. Trained professionals on the line can help
you.
What else does Children's Services do?
In addition to taking and
investigating calls about alleged child abuse and neglect,
Children's Services also:
-
Seeks protective, temporary or permanent custody
of children through Juvenile Court, if necessary
-
Places children in temporary care with
relatives, foster parents or institutional settings when they cannot be
safe in their own homes
-
Involves families and community partners in
making decisions that affect children
-
Provides services to help families that
include drug abuse treatment, emergency housing, mental health counseling,
and parent education.
-
Recruits and trains foster and adoptive families
-
Prepares children for adoption and arranges for
post-adoption services to families
-
Provides training in independent living skills
for older teens
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