Section 150. Services

A. At the completion of a family assessment or investigation, the local department shall consult with the family to provide or arrange for necessary protective and rehabilitative services to be provided to the child and his family to the extent funding is available pursuant to subdivision A 2 of § 63.2-1505 or § 63.2-1506 of the Code of Virginia.

B. Families may decline services offered as a result of a family assessment or an investigation. If the family declines services, the case shall be closed unless there is an existing court order or the local department determines that sufficient cause exists due to threat of harm or actual harm to the child to redetermine the case as one that needs to be brought to the attention of the court. In no instance shall these actions be taken solely because the family declines services.

C. At the completion of a family assessment or investigation, local departments of social services may petition the court for services deemed necessary.

D. Protective services also includes preventive services to children about whom no formal complaint of abuse or neglect has been made, but for whom potential harm or threat of harm exists, to be consistent with §§ 16.1-251, 16.1-252, 16.1-279.1, 63.2-1503 J, and 63.2-1502 of the Code of Virginia.

E. Local departments shall support the establishment and functioning of multidisciplinary teams pursuant to § 63.2-1503 J of the Code of Virginia.

F. The local department must use reasonable diligence to locate any child for whom a founded disposition of abuse or neglect has been made and/or a child protective services case has been opened pursuant to § 63.2-1503 F of the Code of Virginia. The local department shall document its attempts to locate the child and family.

G. When an abused or neglected child and persons who are the subject of an open child abuse services case have relocated out of the jurisdiction of the local department, the local department shall notify the child protective services agency in the jurisdiction to which such persons have relocated, whether inside or outside of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and forward to such agency relevant portions of the case records pursuant to § 63.2-1503 G of the Code of Virginia.

H. The receiving local department shall arrange necessary protective and rehabilitative services pursuant to § 63.2-1503 G of the Code of Virginia.

Historical Notes

Derived from Volume 13, Issue 25, eff. January 1, 1998; amended, Virginia Register Volume 19, Issue 06, eff. January 1, 2003; Volume 25, Issue 11, eff. March 4, 2009.

Statutory Authority

§§ 63.2-217 and 63.2-1503 of the Code of Virginia.