North Dakota
NORTH DAKOTA
Gladys Cairns
Administrator
Child Protection Services
North Dakota Department of Human Services
600 East Boulevard
Bismarck, ND 58505-0250
(701) 328-4806
(701) 328-3538 Fax
socaig@state.nd.us
General: Since 1996, North Dakota has classified cases as to whether or not services are required, with risk factors for maltreatment. These assessments of child safety and future risk of harm emphasize what services are available to ameliorate any future risk.
The child neglect and abuse law was amended during the 1995 legislative session. The implementation of the reform of North Dakota Child Protection Services began on January 1, 1996. The legislation takes North Dakota from an incident-based investigation method to a service method, in which assessments are done on child safety and future risk of harm. The emphasis is on what services are available to ameliorate any future risk. This approach focuses on identifying and building on the familys capacities and strengths.
An assessment is a factfinding process designed to provide information that enables a determination to be made that services are required to provide for the protection and treatment of an abused or neglected child. The Department immediately shall initiate an assessment or cause an assessment of any report of child abuse or neglect including, when appropriate, the assessment of the home or residence of the child, any school or child care facility attended by the child, and the circumstances surrounding the report of abuse or neglect. If the report alleges a violation of a criminal statute involving sexual or physical abuse, the Department and an appropriate law enforcement agency shall coordinate the planning and execution of their investigation efforts to avoid a duplication of factfinding efforts and multiple interviews.
Upon completion of the assessment of the initial report of child abuse or neglect, a decision must be made whether services are required to provide for the protection and treatment of an abused or neglected child. This determination is the responsibility of the Department. Upon a decision that services are required, the Department promptly shall make a written report of the decision to the juvenile court having jurisdiction in the matter. The Department promptly shall file a report of a decision that services are required under this section in the child abuse information index. The Division of Children and Family Services shall maintain a child abuse information index of all reports of decisions that services are required for child abuse, neglect, or death resulting from abuse or neglect. (Excerpted from North Dakota Legislative Code, Chapter 50-25.1)
Item 2.2: There is no way to differentiate parents who are alleged perpetrators. Thus, all reports by parents were tallied as parents.
Items 2.3 and 3.2: A State finding of "Services Required" was mapped to "Assessments in Which Children/Families Were Found to Be in Need of Services." State findings of "Services Recommended" and "No Services Recommended" mapped to "Other."
Item 4.2: The age breakdown of the 1,066 children assessed to be in need of services was <1-75, 1-45, 2-67, 3-49, 4-65, 5-62, 6-71, 7-77, 8-63, 9-60, 10-51, 11-54, 12-57, 13-70, 14-76, 15-62, 16-42, 17-20.
Item 4.3: The gender breakdown of the 1,066 children assessed to be in need of services was: Male-508, Female-556, Unknown-2.
Item 4.4: The Hispanic ethnicity breakdown of the 1,066 children assessed to be in need of services was: Hispanic or Latino-52, Not Hispanic or Latino-1,010, Unable to Determine-4.
Item 4.5: The racial breakdown of the 1,066 children assessed to be in need of services was: African American-45, American Indian or Alaska Native-228, Asian-10, White-775, Other-4, Unable to Determine-4.
Item 6.1: The 1,530 perpetrators of the neglect and abuse committed on the 1,066 children assessed to be in need of services were in the following categories: Parents-1,324, Other Relatives or Household Members in a Caretaking Relationship-124, Foster Parents-0, Residential Facility Staff-0, Child Day Care Providers-25, Non-Caretakers-57, Unknown Relationships-0.
