Chapter 1 : Section 2

Decision to Take a Report

Policy

Any incoming communication, or intake, that meets the criteria for a DCS report shall be taken as a Report. An intake meets Report criteria when the identity or current location of the child victim, the child victim’s family, or the person suspected of abuse or neglect is known or can be reasonably ascertained and the source alleges all of the following:

  • the victim is currently under the age of 18;

  • the victim has been physically, emotionally or sexually abused, neglected, abandoned or exploited;

  • the person suspected of committing the abuse or neglect is a parent, guardian, custodian or an adult member of the victim’s household; and

  • the victim is a resident of or present in Arizona.

For the purpose of a Report, a child victim is a resident when:

  • the child victim attends school or is enrolled in child care in Arizona; or

  • the child victim's primary custodian resides in Arizona.

The Department shall prepare a Report if the identity of the person who is suspected of abuse is an employee of a congregate care facility (group home or shelter) and both of the following apply:

  • the child victim is placed in the facility; and

  • the facility is licensed by and contracted with the Department.

An employee of a congregate care facility is not statutorily eligible to be screened in as a perpetrator of neglect.

The Department is not required to prepare a Report if:

  • the suspected abuse or neglect occurred in a foreign country, and the child is in the custody of the federal government;

  • the suspected perpetrator is deceased and there is no indication that the perpetrator's death occurred during an act of abuse or neglect against the child; or

  • the suspected perpetrator's parental rights are terminated as to the alleged child victim.

Except for criminal conduct allegations, the Department is not required to prepare a Report if all of the following apply:

  • the suspected conduct occurred more than three years before the intake is communicated to the Hotline; and

  • there is no information or indication that a child is currently being abused or neglected.

Procedures

Report for Investigation

If an intake meets the criteria for a Report, the Intake Specialist shall:

  • Inform the reporting source that a Report is being taken and provide the reporting source with contact information for the assigned unit.

  • Search Guardian to determine whether there have been previous Reports or intakes on the family and the status of prior assessments or cases. This search assists the Intake Specialist to determine if the information was previously reported and another intake type is appropriate.

  • When needed, search the Arizona Technical Eligibility Computer System (AZTECS) database to gather and/or confirm a person's identity, if available.

  • Finalize entry of the Report into Guardian after determining the correct response time, and verify the Report is finalized and transmitted to the appropriate unit.

Location or Identity of Child Victim, Child Victim's Family, or Perpetrator Unknown

When an intake meets all other criteria of a Report but the reporting source does not know the identity or location of the child, family, or perpetrator, or states that the parent has fled with the child to avoid contact from the police or the Department, the Intake Specialist takes the following steps to gather information that will allow the Intake Specialist or DCS Specialist to reasonably ascertain the identity or location of the child, family, or perpetrator:

  • Continue with the phone interview, or follow-up with the reporting source who submitted an online report, to obtain all pertinent information regarding the maltreatment of the child.

  • Discuss different ways to locate the family.

  • Explore whether the reporting source can describe where the child/family might be located, or if there are other options to locate the child/family. This includes, but is not limited to:

    • directions to a home or area, if enough details are provided (e.g., description of the home, cross streets, etc.)

    • apartment or hotel name;

    • non-custodial parent's home;

    • any location where the child or parent is currently located (e.g., home of relative or friend, hospital, police station, juvenile detention center, etc.);

    • parent's place of employment;

    • a place a child can be found consistently (e.g., karate class, church, other enrichment class, etc.); and

    • parent’s jail address (if parent is currently in jail).

  • Consider a collateral contact to a professional mandated reporter.

If the reporting source does not have the above information, advise the reporting source to call the Hotline if it becomes available.

The Intake Specialist researches Guardian and AZTECS to locate the child/family and assigns the Report when the victim, the victim’s family, or the perpetrator can be identified.

If none of the above information can lead to the identity or location of the victim, victim's family, or perpetrator, then Report criteria is not met and the information shall be documented as a Screened Out Intake.

Non-Reports

If an intake contains concerns of abuse or neglect that do not meet Report criteria, the Intake Specialist shall:

  • Inform the reporting source that the information provided did not meet Report criteria and further research/review will take place to determine if there is any action the Department can take. If no action can be taken the information will be retained for future reference.

  • Refer the reporting source, when applicable, to a community resource that may address the concerns.

  • Direct the reporting source to notify law enforcement when information provided indicates that a criminal offense may have been committed and, in addition, cross reports the information to law enforcement. See Cross Reporting.

  • Search Guardian to locate intakes, assessment and cases regarding the family to determine:

    • whether there was a prior Report for investigation and the new information impacts child safety or previous findings (unsubstantiated or unable to locate);

    • whether there is a pattern of concerning behavior contained in previous intakes that is escalating and when combined with the current concern meets Report criteria.

Upon determination that Report criteria has not been met, the Intake Specialist immediately finalizes entry of the appropriate Intake Category in Guardian.

The following information should be included, if available, within the narrative or applicable Guardian fields:

  • child’s full name, age or date of birth, and how to locate;

  • parent/caretaker’s full name, address, phone, and other pertinent information to locate;

  • identity of the alleged perpetrator, relationship to the child, and how to locate; and

  • if applicable, specifics of the alleged criminal activity;

    • when the criminal activity took place (or estimated time frame); and

    • where the criminal activity occurred.

An Intake Supervisor or designee shall review Screened Out Intakes to verify that the intake was correctly classified.

Criminal Conduct Hotline Screening Guide, CSO-1365A

Hotline Report Decision Tool, DCS-1968

 

A.R.S. § 8-455. Centralized intake hotline; purposes; report of possible crime; report for investigation; risk assessment tools; access to information; public awareness; definition.

A.A.C. R21-3-202. Preliminary Screening

A.A.C. R21-3-203. Disposition of Communications

A.A.C. R21-3-204. Quality Assurance

Effective Date: September 14, 2024
Revision History: November 30, 2012, September 13, 2013, February 4, 2015, July 7, 2018, August 6, 2016, June 24, 2019, February 1, 2021 , September 24, 2022, October 3, 2023