Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 18, September 16, 2024
(a) The child protective
investigator shall interview the alleged child victim in person and individually,
during the investigation of a report containing any allegation. The child protective
investigator shall observe each non-verbal alleged child victim. The child
protective investigator shall use sensitivity to avoid further trauma to each
alleged child victim.
(b) The child
protective investigator shall, in completing an investigation of a report containing
any allegation:
1. Complete a safety
assessment;
2. Interview, in person and
individually, the caregiver and each adult in the home. The child protective
investigator shall interview the alleged child victim's caregiver on the same day as
the alleged child victim, if possible;
3. In cases where a service case is currently
closed but had been open within the previous two years, interview a prior permanency
worker who is the most knowledgeable about the family, if he or she is
available;
4. Interview, in person and
individually, each other child residing in the home of the alleged child victim. The
child protective investigator shall observe each non-verbal child;
5. Read and review each available prior
investigation relevant to the report;
6.
Interview the reporter and each other person identified in the current report or
related information as having knowledge of the incident or as having made an
assessment of physical harm, including, but not limited to, the:
i. Physician;
ii. Medical examiner;
iii. Coroner;
iv. Other professional who treated the alleged
child victim's current condition, other than the reporter;
v. Assigned permanency worker;
vi. Youth services provider;
vii. Private agency caseworker; and
viii. Other Department representative working with
the alleged child victim or his or her family;
7. Interview the alleged perpetrator, in
person;
8. Complete a Child Abuse Record
Information check of each household member and each other individual regularly
frequenting or living in the alleged child victim's home;
9. Conduct a PROMIS/GAVEL check to identify a
paramour's record of criminal history, when the report involves a
paramour;
10. Complete a risk
assessment;
11. Observe the environment
where alleged abuse or neglect occurred or which poses a threat to the child;
and
12. Obtain and document written
approval by a supervisor when seeking to eliminate any requirement listed in (b)1
through 11 above.
(c) The
child protective investigator shall assess the need to contact and cooperate with
law enforcement or a prosecutor, based upon the allegation(s) made in the report
when completing an investigation. In particular, the child protective investigator
shall determine if a joint investigation in accordance with the DCF/Law Enforcement
Model Coordinated Response Protocol,
http://www.nj.gov/oag/dcj/pdfs/dcf-lawenf-protocol.pdf [File Link Not Available] is
possible and consult with the investigating police officer or prosecutor before
interviewing the alleged child victim, unless emergency action is needed, when
completing an investigation of sexual abuse.
(d) The child protective investigator shall obtain
a medical assessment of the injury, which may include photos or a body chart, when
completing an investigation of a report containing any allegation that involved a
physical injury and when a physician has examined the child. The child protective
investigator shall request a certified copy of hospital or other medical or forensic
records, if available, for the Division of Child Protection and Permanency record,
if abuse or neglect is substantiated or established.
(e) The child protective investigator shall, in
completing an investigation:
1. Assess the
strengths and needs of the caregiver;
2.
Assess the strengths and needs of the alleged child victim;
3. Interview collateral contacts who have
knowledge of the incident or circumstances;
4. Confirm child care arrangements reported by the
caregiver where appropriate;
5.
Interview school personnel or a child care provider, if any, with knowledge of the
parental care provided to that child;
6.
Interview each identified witness who is reported to have knowledge of the alleged
abuse or neglect;
7. Interview each
community professional who has first-hand knowledge of the alleged abuse or
neglect;
8. Interview the following
persons:
i. Each person residing at the address of
occurrence, at the time of incident; and
ii. Each witness offered by the alleged
perpetrator who could provide evidence that he or she did not abuse or neglect the
alleged child victim;
9.
Interview each investigative law enforcement officer working on the
report;
10. Interview each of the
primary response law enforcement personnel called to the scene of the alleged abuse
or neglect;
11. Interview each medical
professional directly involved with the treatment of the reported injury or
condition, and obtain, if possible, a certified copy of any report;
12. Obtain a collateral contact from each medical
professional who has seen the alleged child victim; and
13. Obtain and document written approval by a
supervisor when seeking to eliminate any requirement listed in (e)1 through 12
above.
