Family Functioning Areas and Risk Assessment Tool

Child Vulnerability-CV
Quality of Care-QC
Home Environment-HE
Caregiver Capability-CC
Maltreatment Pattern-MP
Social Environment-SE
Response to Intervention-RI

Family Functioning Areas

What is the extent of the maltreatment?

Risk Assessment Areas of Concerns

What are the circumstances surrounding the child maltreatment?

Family Functioning Areas and Risk Assessment Tool (rev. 4/2015)

Is actual or potential harm severe? MP-Severity

Was any child born or addicted or exposed to drugs or
alcohol? MP-Severity
Has any child suffered physical injuries or sexual abuse?
MP-Severity
Has the abuse/neglect of any child required immediate
medical care? MP-Severity
Does any alleged perpetrator, child or adult, have access to
any children in the family? CV-Fragility/Protection
Has there been a recent incident or indication of
abuse/neglect (within the last 6 months or so)? MPChronicity
Has there been a prior abuse/neglect investigation
regardless of finding or for FAD, serious incidents or
complaints? MP-Chronicity
Has any child been removed from the home by a protective
service agency? MP-Chronicity
Has any prior incident resulted in a severe outcome? MPChronicity
Have more types of abuse or neglect been occurring? MPTrend
Are the conditions in/and around the home hazardous or
unsanitary? HE-Dangerous Exposure
Is any caregiver unwilling/unable to protect the children?
CV-Fragility/Protection
Are incidents escalating in severity? MP-Trend
Have incidents been occurring more frequently? MP-Trend
Are more people becoming involved, as either victim or
perpetrator? MP-Trend
Does any person in the home promote violence? SESocial Climate
Does any caregiver offer implausible explanations

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Family Functioning Areas and Risk Assessment Tool

Child Vulnerability-CV
Quality of Care-QC
Home Environment-HE
Caregiver Capability-CC
Maltreatment Pattern-MP
Social Environment-SE
Response to Intervention-RI

How do the children function on a daily basis?

How do the adults (caregivers) function on a daily basis?

Family Functioning Areas and Risk Assessment Tool (rev. 4/2015)

deliberately mislead DFCS or refuse to disclose important

information? RI-Deception
Is the maltreatment premeditated, bizarre, or sadistic? MPSeverity
Is any child physically impaired, mentally impaired, or in
need of special care? CV-Fragility/Protection
Is the behavior of any child hostile or aggressive or
unusually disturbed, fussy or irritable? CV-Child Behavior
Is any childs behavior seen as provoking? CV-Child
Behavior
Is any child four years old or younger or otherwise unable
to protect him/herself? CV-Fragility/Protection
Has any child experienced a significant separation from the
primary caregiver? QC-Emotional Care
Is there a history of sexual abuse of any family member as
a victim or perpetrator? MP-Chronicity
Do behaviors of any household member expose children to
dangers? HE-Dangerous Exposure
Is the family experiencing any recent significant stress?
HE-Stressors
Does any person in the home promote violence? SE-Social
Violence
Does any person in the home have a history of criminal
involvement? SE-Social Violence
Is the family socially isolated or unsupported by extended
family? SE-Social Climate
Does any caregiver lack impulse control? CC-Control
Is any caregiver unable to cope appropriately with stress?
CC-Functioning
Does any caregiver have a history of mental illness such as
depression, attempted suicide, schizophrenia, bi-polar
disorder, etc? CC-Functioning
Does any caregiver have a significant impairment in mental

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Family Functioning Areas and Risk Assessment Tool

Child Vulnerability-CV
Quality of Care-QC
Home Environment-HE
Caregiver Capability-CC
Maltreatment Pattern-MP
Social Environment-SE
Response to Intervention-RI

Family Functioning Areas and Risk Assessment Tool (rev. 4/2015)

capacity such as retardation, brain damage, etc?

(diagnosed or indicated) CC-Functioning
Does any caregiver have a history of drug or alcohol
abuse? CC-Functioning
Were any caregivers abused or neglected as children? CCFunctioning
Is there a history of sexual abuse of any family member as
a victim or perpetrator? MP-Chronicity
Is any caregiver experiencing any recent stress about child
development issues, such as, toilet training, identity
development or parent-child conflict? HE-Stressors
Is the family experiencing any recent significant stress?
HE-Stressors
Is the home so crowded or chaotic that responsibility for
caregiving is unclear, leading no one to assume
responsibility for the children? HE-Dangerous Exposure
Do behaviors of any household member expose children to
dangers? HE-Dangerous Exposure
Are the social relationships of any caregiver primarily
negative? SE-Social Climate
Has any person in the home ever been a victim of spousal
abuse? SE-Social Violence
Has any person in the home ever been a perpetrator of
spousal abuse? SE-Social Violence
Does any person in the home promote violence? SE-Social
Violence
Does any person in the home have a history of criminal
involvement? SE-Social Violence
Is there an imbalance of power between adults that affects
any non-perpetrators ability to protect a child? SE-Social
Violence
Is any caregiver unmotivated/unrealistic about change? RIAttitude
Is any caregiver hostile or refusing to cooperate with
DFCS? RI-Deception

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Family Functioning Areas and Risk Assessment Tool

Child Vulnerability-CV
Quality of Care-QC
Home Environment-HE
Caregiver Capability-CC
Maltreatment Pattern-MP
Social Environment-SE
Response to Intervention-RI

What are the general parenting practices in the family?

What are the disciplinary practices in the family?

Family Functioning Areas and Risk Assessment Tool (rev. 4/2015)

Are any caregivers significantly lacking knowledge of child

development? CC-Knowledge/Skills
Does any caregiver significantly lack the parenting skills
needed to meet any childs behavioral and developmental
needs? CC-Knowledge/Skills
Do any caregivers have unrealistic expectations or
frequently fail to understand the needs of any child,
considering the childs behavior and developmental? CCKnowledge/Skills
Does any caregiver lack empathy for or show lack of
attachment to any child? QC-Emotional Care
Is any caregiver so self-centered or needy that his/her own
needs are inappropriately placed above the needs of any
child? QC-Emotional Care
Is any child scapegoated, rejected, humiliated or treated
differently by any caregiver? QC-Emotional Care
Is any caregiver self-centered or needy that his/her own
needs are placed above the needs of the child? QCEmotional Care
Has any child been inadequately supervised or left with an
inappropriate caregiver? QC-Physical Care
Has any child been denied essential medical treatment?
QC-Physical Care
Is there an overall lack of physical care for any child? QCPhysical Care
Is the discipline used disproportionately harsh compared to
the behavior? CC-Control

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