{"id":31850,"date":"2020-12-09T18:07:10","date_gmt":"2020-12-09T18:07:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/caseyfamilyv2.wpengine.com\/summary-voluntary-services\/"},"modified":"2026-05-13T19:59:56","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T19:59:56","slug":"summary-voluntary-services","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.casey.org\/es\/summary-voluntary-services\/","title":{"rendered":"How do some child protection agencies provide voluntary services?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Many jurisdictions across the country provide voluntary child welfare services. While the name and the details of each program may vary slightly, the overarching goals are the same: engaging families; providing support and access to services; building family resilience and community connections; and maintaining children safely in their own homes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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In-home voluntary services are part of an effective service continuum<\/span><\/a> that addresses prevention at various levels of risk, and provides timely, quality, and individualized services to protect and nurture children and families. Such services \u2014 and the children and families eligible for them \u2014 are in keeping with the spirit and intent of the Family First Prevention and Services Act (P.L. 115-123),1<\/sup><\/a> which supports evidence-informed interventions to help children safely remain at home by meeting families\u2019 service and treatment needs. Developing an effective service continuum that includes in-home voluntary programming requires a careful exploration of agency philosophy and approach, and a clear understanding of when and how courts should be involved. Questions to consider include:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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  1. Is service provision holistic?<\/li>\n
  2. Is the agency structured and staffed in a way that allows for the timely provision of these services?<\/li>\n
  3. What other scaffolding, including provider capacity, might be necessary to support implementation?<\/li>\n
  4. When might it become necessary to involve the court?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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    1. <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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      As many child protection agencies explore ways to structure the delivery of a prevention service array, this jurisdictional scan summarizes the various approaches that child protection agencies are currently taking in the provision of voluntary services: New Jersey<\/span><\/a>,2<\/sup><\/a> New York City<\/span><\/a>,3<\/sup><\/a> Oklahoma<\/span><\/a>,4<\/sup><\/a> and Washington<\/span><\/a>.5<\/sup><\/a> (For more information, please see detailed jurisdictional summaries, which are linked above.)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \n \n \n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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      Initiation of voluntary services<\/h2>\n

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      All four jurisdictions begin the process with a safety and\/or risk assessment to identify the strengths and needs of the family, and examine whether the child can remain safely in the home or if removal is needed. The decision to offer voluntary services is always made in conjunction with a supervisor, and often once an investigation has been initiated or completed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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      The jurisdictions differ in the types of cases that are most often offered voluntary services. In New Jersey, New York City, and Washington, there is no specific type of case served most frequently, while staff in Oklahoma indicated their voluntary cases most often include families experiencing neglect and underlying substance abuse.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n