Rules and Procedures, Section 300.160, Special Types of Reports describe what actions investigative staff are to take when a child death is alleged to have occurred because of abuse or neglect. The procedures 300.160 describe the actions to be taken depending on whether there is/was a) no prior DCFS involvement, b) prior CA/N investigation, c) pending investigation. The following procedures are to be followed if there was a prior open services case or a current open services case.
a) Prior Open Service Case
When a child's death is attributed to alleged abuse or neglect and the Department had a prior open service case involving the child and/or the child's family, the previous child welfare worker or supervisor shall prepare a chronology of the past service activity and analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of theprior service activity. The chronology and analysis shall be prepared within one business day of learning of the death of the child and shall be submitted/telecopied to:
· Regional Administrator;
· Deputy Director, Operations and Community Services; and
· Executive Deputy Director
b) Current Open Service Case
When a child's death is attributed to alleged abuse or neglect and the Department has a current open service case involving the child and/or the child's family, the investigative worker assigned to investigate the child's death will contact the child welfare worker/supervisor within one business day of receiving the report. The purpose of the contact is to notify the service worker/supervisor of the child's death (if the service worker was not the reporter) and to obtain all pertinent information which the service worker/supervisor possesses.
The child welfare supervisor whose unit has responsibility for the open service case shall review the case record and prepare a chronology of the service case to date, as well as an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the service case. The chronology and analysis shall be prepared within one business day of learning of the death of the child and shall be submitted/telecopied to:
· Regional Administrator;
· Deputy Director, Operations and Community Services; and
· Executive Deputy Director.