Significant Pursuit by Renaissance Guy

     So there are certain general guidelines that a caseworker should follow–or at least try to follow–when taking in a report and when conducting an initial assessment or investigation.  From the news reports I have read and heard, it does not sound like CPS agents followed most of the recommended procedures in dealing with the Yearning for Zion ranch.

     They apparently have not identified the child involved or her parents, probably because the person who made the phone call used a phony identity.

     They did not meet with the caller in person to help determine her credibility.

          They certainly did not evaluate the motive of the reporter, if she really was the 33-year-old African American woman from Colorado.

     They did not do an initial assessment or investigation to determine the validity of the report, assess the risk of maltreatment, and determine if the child was safe.

     They did not involve the children and the family during an exploration of the allegations.

     ————————-

     In short, it sounds like it is supposed to be a long, gradual process that involves at least some skepticism on the part of the caseworker.  It also sounds like the family should stay together unless the child is known to be in great immediate danger or unless there is a high probablity that such danger will arise in the near future.

     Hmm. . .

     I’m not sure how often CPS case workers follow these guidelines or how closely they follow them, but it seems clear that the raid on the FLDS ranch in West Texas was not in keeping with them at all.