Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 24, December 18, 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:
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.
