Vol. 25, No. 1
November 2019

Evaluator Recommends Central Intake Hotline for NC

An external evaluator has recommended North Carolina create a 24-hour, centralized hotline for all reports of suspected abuse and neglect of children and adults. Currently reports go directly to all 100 county child welfare agencies.

The recommendation comes from the Center for the Support of Families (CSF), which the state selected in 2018 to develop a plan to reform NC's social services system.

When it analyzed data related to intake, CSF found a wide range in report screen-out rates, which it says "made it clear that screening criteria are not being applied the same way across counties."

CSF believes a centralized intake hotline can correct this, if it is effectively managed with standardized training, supervision, and effective data use. Because most counties already combine child and adult protective intake functions during non-business hours, CSF recommends both be included in the hotline.

Because intake workers need immediate access to information about any history of county DSS involvement with the child and his or her family, CSF has designated the central hotline as a "long-term" goal, since real time access to county CPS history will be available only when the conversion to NC FAST is complete in child welfare.

The proposal for a hotline is part of a broader reform effort driven by North Carolina's Family-Child Protection and Accountability Act (HB 630). This law required the NC Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and the Office of State Budget and Management to contract with a third party to craft a reform plan of the state's social services system.

CSF, which performed this assessment, issued its final report in May 2019. (Click here to read this report.)

DHHS intends to use CSF's report as a roadmap to improve support to and oversight of social services programs, enhance child safety, and protect children from harm.

North Carolina's General Assembly is also conducting a program evaluation to inform decision-making about the recommendation for a CPS hotline.