Family Maintenance Services
Family Reunification Services
Independent Living Services
Emergency Response Services
Permanency Planning
The Social Services Branch of the Health and Human Services Department provides Child Welfare Services through the following programs:
EMERGENCY RESPONSE:
Emergency Response Units investigate reports of children in immediate danger from physical or sexual abuse or neglect.
While protection of the child is the goal, maintaining the family unit is emphasized whenever possible. Emergency
Response Services are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Emergency Response Units also provide short-term, intensive services to stabilize the family so that children can be safe
and receive appropriate care. Emphasis is on crisis intervention and avoiding further intervention, such as Juvenile Court
action. Voluntary services can be provided for up to six months, and may be extended under certain circumstances, if the
family is willing to work on correcting the problems that brought the family to the attention of CWS.
FAMILY PRESERVATION PROGRAM:
This short-term (maximum of 60 working days), intensive intervention program is aimed at families willing to work on a
voluntary basis with CWS to correct the problems which caused a referral to CWS. Family Preservation families are at
risk for Juvenile Court intervention and removal of the children from the home. Services are provided by a team of social
workers, Family Resource workers, and Parent Educators from CWS and the Humboldt Child Care Council.
FAMILY MAINTENANCE:
Family Maintenance services provide time-limited services to children in their own homes, aimed at preventing or correcting neglect and abuse. A primary goal of Family Maintenance services is to allow children to remain safely in their own homes, by providing services and supervision for the family.
Families whose children have been declared dependents of the Juvenile Court may be eligible for Family Maintenance
services if the children can safely remain in the home of the parent(s), and if the problems which brought the family before
the Juvenile Court can be corrected within the time allowed by law (twelve months).
Families whose children are at risk of neglect or abuse, and who are willing to accept voluntary services from CWS may
also be eligible for Family Maintenance services, if the children can safely remain in the home while services are being
provided.
FAMILY REUNIFICATION:
Family Reunification services provide time-limited services to families whose children cannot remain safely in the home
and have been placed by the Juvenile Court. The goal of Family Reunification services is to help the family overcome their
problems so that children can be reunited with parents or guardians. Family Reunification services are limited to twelve
months, however in some instances may be extended by six months if it is likely the children can be returned home with
additional services.
PERMANENCY PLANNING:
This program is designed to provide a permanent family structure for those children who, because of neglect, abuse or
molestation, cannot safely remain at home or return to the home of the parent(s). Possible permanent plans include:
adoption, guardianship, or long-term foster care. The goal of permanency planning is to insure that each child has the
most stable home available in which to grow up.
ALTERNATIVE RESPONSE TEAM:
This innovative, multi-agency program is aimed at those at-risk families which would benefit from early intervention and
services, yet whose problems have not yet resulted in Child Welfare Services intervention. Cases referred to CWS which
do not meet legal criteria for neglect, where there are children age 5 years or under. may be referred to ART by the
Emergency Response Supervisor. Primary services are provided by a Public Health Nurse and a Community Health
Outreach Worker, with assistance from CWS, Probation and Mental Health. The goal of ART is to help families correct
problems at an early stage, before they escalate and require further intervention.
