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Virginia Administrative Code
Title 22. Social Services
Agency 40. Department of Social Services
Chapter 705. Child Protective Services
9/18/2024

22VAC40-705-110. Assessments in family assessments and investigations.

A. In both family assessments and investigations the child protective services worker shall conduct an initial safety assessment of the child's circumstances and threat of danger or harm, and where appropriate shall make a safety plan to provide for the protection of the child.

B. In all completed family assessments and investigations, the child protective services worker shall conduct a risk assessment to determine whether or not the child is in jeopardy of future abuse or neglect and whether or not intervention is necessary to protect the child.

C. In investigations, the child protective services worker shall make a disposition of either founded or unfounded as defined in 22VAC40-705-10 after collecting and assessing information about the alleged abuse or neglect.

D. In all investigations with a founded disposition, the child protective services worker shall assess the severity of the abuse or neglect and shall assign a level. The three levels of founded dispositions are:

1. Level 1. This level includes those injuries or conditions, real or threatened, that result in or were likely to have resulted in serious harm to a child.

2. Level 2. This level includes injuries or conditions, real or threatened, that result in or were likely to have resulted in moderate harm to a child.

3. Level 3. This level includes injuries or conditions, real or threatened, that result in or were likely to have resulted in minimal harm to a child.

Statutory Authority

§ 63.2-217 of the Code of Virginia.

Historical Notes

Derived from Virginia Register Volume 13, Issue 25, eff. January 1, 1998; amended, Virginia Register Volume 19, Issue 6, eff. January 1, 2003; Volume 33, Issue 19, eff. July 1, 2017.

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