Services may include social casework, referrals for indicated services, legal proceedings and other activities to support families. Families who are eligible for these services are those where there has been a founded case of child abuse and/or neglect, or where there is moderate to high risk of abuse and/or neglect and the parent(s)/guardian(s) sign an application requestiong such services, or where a child or family is before the court and the court orders such services through this department.
All referrals of CHINS cases come from the Newport News Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court following the filin of a CHINS petition. CHINS, "Child In Need Of Services", refers to a child whose behavior, conduct or condition presents or results in a serious threat to the well-being and physical safety of the child. CHINS SUPERVISION, "Child In Need Of Supervision", refers to a child who either while subject to compulsory school attendance, is habitually and without justification absent from school, or without reasonable cause and without the consent of his parent or lawful custodian, remains away from home.
The goal of the CHINS program is to provide intensive preventative services to families to reduce the number of children entering foster care. Services provided include: gathering information to assess the gamily's needs and crisis counseling; making referrals to public and private providers for such services as counseling, substance abuse assessments and parent training (STEP-TEEN); staffing with the Newport News Family Assessment and Planning Team, and making recommendations and reporting progress to the court.
This program provides intensive home-based services to families with the goal of preserving the family unit when services through a number of community agencies have been provided without significant improvement, and there is imminent risk of children entering foster care. The F.A.R. team consists of a Family Counselor and Parent Educator who serve a maximum of eight families at any one time. This allows for frequent and intensice interventions needed to achieve a change in family functioning, thereby reducing the of abuse/neglect of the children. For further information call (757) 926-6046 or 926-6030.
Home study evaluation services are rendered for the courts or other social service agencies involving child custody matters. Ther purpose of the home study evaluation is to evaluate the child's physical environment and to reflect the type of parenting the child does or would receive in the home. Home studies are also conducted for other states through the Interstate Compact for Placement of Children (ICPC). Individual requests cannot be accepted for this service, as requests must come directly from the courts or other social service agencies. There may be a fee assessed for this service according to family size and income.
This service is provided to families who meet state requirements for mandated services: counseling is court ordered; children are at risk for child abuse and neglect; children are at risk for placement in foster care. Counseling is provided by two full-time counselors. This counseling model emphasizes total family participation in an effort to establush appropriate family roles and parenting techniques. For further information contact (757) 926-6032.