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1. What age can a child be left alone?

Virginia state statutes do not set a specific age after which a child legally can stay alone. Age alone is not a very good indicator of a child's maturity level. Some very mature 10 year olds may be ready for self care while some 15 year olds may not be ready due to emotional problems or behavioral difficulties. In determining whether a child is capable of being left alone and whether a parent is providing adequate supervision in latchkey situations, Child Protective Services (CPS) will assess several areas.

These areas include:

Child's level of maturity. CPS will want to assess whether the child is physically capable of taking care of himself, is mentally capable of recognizing and avoiding danger and making sound decisions; is emotionally ready to be alone; knows what to do and whom to call if an emergency arises; and has special physical, emotional, or behavioral problems that make it unwise to be left alone. Its important to note that a child who can take care of him/herself may not be ready to care for younger children.

Accessibility of those responsible for the child. CPS will want to determine the location and proximity of the parents, whether they can be reached by phone and can get home quickly if needed, and whether the child knows the parents location and how to reach them.

The situation. CPS will want to assess the time of day and length of time the children will be left alone; the safety of the home or neighborhood; whether the parents have arranged for nearby adults to be available in case a problem arises; and whether there is a family history of child abuse or neglect.

Some localities have ordinance concerning the age at which a child may be left without supervision.

determining child supervision requirements.

2. What is the definition of child abuse and neglect?

The best definition of child Abuse and neglect can be found at the Child Welfare Gateway Web Site.

Child Welfare Gateway website.

3. Are mandated reporters required to report suspicions of abuse or neglect within their family or outside of their work place?

Mandated reporters are required by law to report suspicions of abuse and neglect while in their professional or official capacity.

For more information, visit the Child Protection Services page.

4. What happens when a new report is received on an open referral?

If a new report is received while there is an open referral, a new report must be generated and determined to be valid or not. The only exception is when new information is learned within 5 days of receiving the original report and constitutes a valid allegation; it can then be added to the existing report.

Learn more about Child Protection Services.

5. What constitutes exercising reasonable diligence to locate a child or family named in a CPS report?

Reasonable diligence to locate subjects of a report include, but are not limited to, searching for them in OASIS, the phone book, Accurint and or SPIDeR. Contact should be made with the post office for last known or forwarding address. Additional searches include school records, DMV, DCSE and utility companies. Contacting law enforcement, relatives, landlords or neighbors may also constitute reasonable diligence.

Find out more on the Child Protective Services page.

6. What constitutes the first meaningful contact?

The first meaningful contact is a contact with the family, child or collateral that provides pertinent information relating to the safety of the child in a report. This contact may or may not be the first actual contact. The first contact, whether completed or not, is the initial response and should be within the assessed response priority.

Discover the role of Child Protective Services.

7. Does the worker have to contact the non-custodial parent?

In all family assessments and investigations the worker should make reasonable efforts to notify and interview the non-custodial parent. The non-custodial parent has the right to know what is happening with their child(ren). The non-custodial parent may have pertinent information regarding the allegations. The non-custodial parent may be able to offer protection should the child be assessed as being unsafe. The non-custodial parent may be able to offer additional support to the child and family. The non-custodial parent may participate in a Family Partnership Meeting.

There will be times that contacting the non-custodial parent would not be in the best interest of the child or family and could be detrimental.

Review more information about Child Protective Services.

8. What information can be released in a founded investigation when there is an on-going investigation but no charges have been filed?

Before any information is released in a founded investigation and a criminal investigation is still pending, the worker should consult the law enforcement handling the investigation of the Commonwealth's Attorney to gain permission to release information.

Visit the Child Protection Services page.

9. What is the difference between information in OASIS and the Central Registry?

OASIS is the state's automated data system and contains information for numerous program areas including CPS. It includes information relating to family assessments, investigations and screened out referrals.

The Central Registry is a subset of CPS information within CPS. The Central Registry only contains information regarding the victims and abusers in founded investigations which are not under appeal.

Learn more about the Virginia Child Abuse & Neglect Central Registry.

10. What is the timeframe for someone to request an appeal for a founded investigation?

The subject of a founded report must notify the local agency of their wish to appeal a founded disposition in writing within 30 days of receiving their letter of notification.

Discover more information on the Child Protective Services page.

11. Does a report of a child not being in a car seat or properly restrained in a car meet a definition of child abuse or neglect?

Virginia law requires the use of safety restraints for children in motor vehicles. The intent of the law is to protect children from serious injury in the event of an accident. This is a civil law with designated fines and penalties. Law enforcement authorities are responsible for enforcing this law. If a report concerning a child not being properly restrained in a car is received by the local agency, the decision regarding validity is made by the local agency.

There may be extenuating situations that may require a CPS response, such as a caretaker pulled over for DUI and is unable to make a plan for the child's safety.

Learn more about Child Passenger Safety.