Families are the primary providers to meet children’s needs; the safety and well-being of children depends on the safety and well-being of all family members. As both researchers and child protection caseworkers know well, there is a high rate of co-occurrence of child maltreatment and domestic violence. This best practice guide was developed to support local child welfare agency staff as they engage with families experiencing co-occurring domestic violence and child maltreatment.
This guide represents a clear policy statement that domestic violence against a child’s parent alone is not sufficient to warrant a child welfare response without direct involvement of or harm/injury to a child; that child welfare response must be made against the domestic violence offender, not the abused parent; that agencies must collaborate with and make referrals to local domestic violence programs; and that child welfare agencies/caseworkers must work in multidisciplinary collaboration to ensure accountability for domestic violence offenders, balancing family safety with opportunities for behavioral change.
