Handbook Revision, August 10, 2020

Updates to Investigations and State-Issued Equipment in Child Care Investigations (CCI) Handbook (PATS 12843)

This revision updates Sections 1400 (state-issued equipment) and 6000 (investigations) to reflect policy and procedural changes that have been in effect (announced to staff through CCI field communications), such as notification requirements, face-to-face contact requirements, investigation initiation requirements, IMPACT enhancements, and policy on child sexual aggression.

See:

1410 Use of State-Issued Equipment

1420 Using Photographs, Audio, Video, and Scanned Information as Investigative a Regulatory Tools

1421 Using Audio as an Investigative a Regulatory Tool

1422 Photographs and Video of Children

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1430 Documenting and Storing Digital Photographs, Video, Scanned Information, and Audio From Inspections or Non-Abuse or Neglect Investigations

1431 Documenting Photographs, Video, and Scanned Information from Inspections or Non-Abuse or Neglect Investigations

1432 CD Storage of Digital Photographs, Video, and Scanned Information For Inspections or Non-Abuse or Neglect Investigations

1433 Documenting and Storing Printed Photographs Received From an Outside Source

1430 1440 Documenting and Storage of Digital Photographs, Audio, Video, and Scanned Information for Abuse, or Neglect, or Exploitation Investigations

1431 1441 Storage of Digital Photographs, Audio, Video, and Scanned Information for Abuse or Neglect Investigations

1432 1442 Documenting Photographs, Audio, Video, and Scanned Information From Abuse or Neglect Investigations

1443 IMPACT Storage of Digital Photographs From Abuse or Neglect Investigations

1444 Documenting and Storing Printed Photographs Received From an Outside Source

1440 1450 Printing and Destroying Digital Photographs

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6100 Overview of Investigations

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6120 The Roles and Responsibilities of Child Care Investigations and Child Care Licensing During an Investigation of the Investigator and the Monitoring Inspector

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6210 Reports Received from Statewide Intake (SWI)

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6221.2 Intake Reports to Be Investigated as Non Abuse or Neglect

6221.3 Reports Received for Listed Homes

6221.4 Reports Investigated by a Child-Placing Agency

6221.2 6221.5 Intake Reports to Be Closed Without an Investigation

6222 Assessing an Intake Report for Priority

6222.1 Classifying an Intake Report as a Priority 1 Investigation

6222.2 Classifying an Intake Report as a Priority 2 Investigation

6222.3 Classifying an Intake Report as a Priority 3 Investigation

6222.4 Classifying an Intake Report as a Priority 5 Investigation

6222.5 Re-Classifying a Priority 5 Investigation as a Priority 4 Investigation

6222.3 6222.6 Selecting Choosing the Priority of an Intake Report in CLASS

6222.7 Changing the Priority of an Investigation in CLASS

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6231.1 Selecting Allegations of Abuse, or Neglect, or Exploitation in IMPACT

6232 CLASS Allegation Types

6232.1 Selecting Allegations of Violations in CLASS

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6240 Processing Intake Reports in IMPACT and CLASS

6241 Upgrading a Non-Abuse or Neglect Intake Report to an Abuse or Neglect Intake Report

6241 6242 Investigate, Downgrade, or Close an Abuse or Neglect Intake Report

6241.1 6242.1 Changing the Priority of an Abuse, or Neglect, or Exploitation Intake Report

6241.2 6242.2 Downgrading an Abuse, or Neglect, or Exploitation Intake Report to a Priority None (PN) Non Abuse or Neglect Intake Report

6241.3 6242.3 Notification of Priority None (PN) Intake Reports Involving a Child in DFPS Conservatorship Closing an Intake Report of Abuse or Neglect

6242 6243 Investigate or Close a Report of Non Abuse or Neglect

6242.1 6243.1 Closing a Non Abuse or Neglect Intake Report

6243 6244 IMPACT and CLASS Options for Changing the Priority, Downgrading, or Closing an Intake Report

6243.1 6244.1 IMPACT Options for Changing the Priority, Downgrading, or Closing an Intake Report

6243.2 6244.2 CLASS Options for Closing an Intake Report

6250 Reports Received by Licensing Offices

6251 Entering a Non Abuse or Neglect Intake Report in CLASS

6251.1 Information to Obtain When Receiving a Report at a Local Licensing Office

6251.2 Entering Reports of Illegal Operations

6251.3 Encouraging a Reporter to Disclose His or Her Identity

6251.4 Processing the Intake Report

6252 Referring Reports to Statewide Intake

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6250 6260 Confidentiality of the Reporter's Identity

6251 6261 Identifying New Reporters During an Investigation

6252 6262 Responding to Requests for the Reporter's Identity

6253 6263 Protecting a Reporter's Confidentiality During an Investigation

6260 6270 Types of Intake Reports

6261 6271 Anonymous Intake Reports

6261.1 6271.1 Evaluating the Factual Basis of an Anonymous Intake Report

6261.2 6271.2 Processing an Anonymous Intake Report in CLASS

6262 6272 Multiple Intake Reports Received for the Same Operation

6262.1 6272.1 Merging and Linking Investigations in IMPACT and CLASS

6263 6273 Repeated Reports With No New Allegations

6264 6274 Reports of Incidents That Occurred in the Past

6265 6275 Incidents Reported by an Operation, Known as Self-Reports

6275.1 Incidents Self-Reported by Operations That May Not Require an Investigation

6275.2 Self-Reports Received by a Licensing Office

6266 6276 Reports Requiring Special Handling

6266.1 6276.1 Processing Sensitive Intake Reports

6266.2 6276.2 Processing Intake Reports Receiving Media Attention

6266.3 6276.3 Processing Intake Reports Involving Disaster Relief

6266.4 6276.4 Processing Intake Reports Involving H1N1

6270 6280 Referring a Report of Abuse, or Neglect, or Exploitation for Investigation When New Allegations Are Received During an Investigation

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6312.2 Evaluating Allegations of Licensing Minimum Standards Violations During an Investigation Determining Which Minimum Standards to Evaluate

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6353 Notifications of Investigations Involving a Child in the DFPS Conservatorship of DFPS (Abuse or Neglect Only)

6353.1 How to Notify the CPS Caseworker and Supervisor

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6361.1 Time Frame for Initiating a Priority 1 (P1) Investigation

6361.2 Time Frame for Initiating a Priority 2 (P2) Investigation

6361.3 Time Frame for Initiating a Priority 3 (P3) Investigation

6361.4 Time Frame for Initiating a Priority 5 Investigation

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6421.12 Contacting When to Refer an Interview to a Children’s Advocacy Center About Certain Allegations

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6421.3 Notifying Parents, Guardians, or Managing Conservators of Interview with Child

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6423.5 Storing Audio Files on a Compact Disc

6423.5 6423.6 Using an Alternative Recording Device

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6460 Interim Staffing with Supervisor

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6524.5 When an Extension Is Needed to Obtain for Autopsy Results or Criminal Investigation

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6567 Determining Whether an Unregulated Operation Is Subject to Regulation Procedures When an Illegal Operation Is Determined to Be Not Subject to Regulation

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6610 Time Frames for Completion of the Investigation

6611 Extending Time Frames for Completing an Investigation

6611.1 Criteria for Requesting Additional Time to Complete the Investigation

6611.2 Documenting an Extension

6611.3 Obtaining an Additional Extension

6620 Determining the Findings

6621 Non Abuse or Neglect Investigations

6622 Investigations of Possible Abuse or Neglect

6621 6622.1 Elements Types of Abuse, or Neglect, and Exploitation

6622 6622.2 Issuing a Finding of Abuse, or Neglect, or Exploitation When the Perpetrator Cannot Be Determined

6623 6622.3 Possible Dispositions

6624 6622.4 Assigning the Severity to a Reason to Believe Disposition

6625 6622.5 Roles of Persons Involved in the Investigation

6626 6622.6 Allegations Involving Child Sexual Aggression or Child-on-Child Physical Abuse

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6633 Notifying the Reporter of Investigation Results

6634 Notification to Child Care Licensing Monitoring Unit

6635 Special Notifications for Investigations Involving Children in DFPS Conservatorship

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6724.1 Findings Involving Child Sexual Aggression