3.9 Intakes Involving DFCS or Child Placement Agency Foster or Adoptive Homes

Georgia State Seal

Georgia Division of Family and Children Services
Child Welfare Policy Manual

Chapter:

(3) Intakes

Policy Title:

Intakes Involving DFCS or Child Placement Agency Foster or Adoptive Homes

Policy Number:

3.9

Previous Policy Number(s):

3.3, 3.13

Effective Date:

June 2026

Manual Transmittal:

2026-03

​Codes/References

N/A

​Requirements

The Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) will:

  1. Receive Special Investigations involving:

    1. Children in DFCS custody

    2. DFCS Foster or Adoptive Homes

    3. Child Placing Agency (CPA) Foster or Adoptive Homes

  2. Complete the Intake Assessment information gathering process with the reporter.

  3. Thoroughly analyze family functioning information gathered to make an intake decision.

    Assigned Special Investigations Intake Assessments bypass the Initial Safety Assessment track.

  4. Notify the legal and boarding (if applicable) County Director(s) and the CPS Intake Communication Center (CICC) Point of Contact(s) (POC) within two hours of the Intake Assessment screen-out disposition, when it involves a child in DFCS custody.

    The County Division shall conduct a face-to-face purposeful contact with the child and their caregiver(s) to confirm child safety within 24 hours of being notified of the screen-out intake assessment involving a child in DFCS custody in accordance with policy 10.18 Foster Care: Purposeful Contacts in Foster Care.

  5. Receive Intake Reports alleging only a policy violation(s) by the following placement resources:

    1. DFCS foster or adoptive homes

    2. CPA foster or adoptive homes

  6. Notify the Office of Provider Management (OPM) of Intake Reports involving CPA foster or adoptive homes, regardless of the Intake Assessment disposition.

    The County Department CICC POC will notify the Resource Development (RD) Social Services Case Manager (SSCM) and Social Services Supervisor (SSS) when the Policy Violation Assessment involves a DFCS foster or adoptive home. All involved parties will also receive an alert in Georgia SHINES.

  7. When the Intake Report involves a Child Death/Near Fatality/Serious Injury (CDNFSI), also adhere to policy 3.13 Intake: Intakes Involving Child Death, Near Fatality, or Serious Injury.

​Procedures

​Special Investigations

The Centralized Intake Specialist (CIS) will:

  1. Complete the Intake Assessment information gathering process with the reporter in accordance with policy 3.1 Intake: Receiving Intake Reports.

  2. Input the Intake Assessment in Georgia SHINES:

    1. Classify the intake report as a Special Investigation: Maltreatment in Care (MIC) when the intake report involves a child in the custody of DFCS. See Practice Guidance: Special Investigations – Maltreatment in Care (MIC).

    2. Classify the intake report as a Special Investigation: Maltreatment Not in Care, when the intake report does not include a child in DFCS custody.

  3. Thoroughly analyze family functioning information gathered to make an intake decision in accordance with policy 3.2 Intake: Making an Intake Decision.

  4. Notify the legal and boarding (if applicable) County Director(s) and CICC POC(s) via email within two hours of the Intake Assessment screen-out disposition, when the Screen-out Intake Assessments involve a child in DFCS custody. Document in the Intake Assessment the notification to the County Director(s) and CICC POC(s).

  5. Send the Special Investigations Intake Report (the Notification to Law Enforcement Agency of Abuse Neglect Report) involving a CPA foster or adoptive home to OPM, regardless of the Intake Assessment disposition and document the notification in the Intake Assessment (see Practice Guidance: Oversight Authority).

The Centralized Intake Specialist Supervisor (CISS) will:

  1. Thoroughly analyze family functioning information gathered to make an intake decision in accordance with policy 3.2 Intake: Make an Intake Decision.

  2. Review and approve the Special Investigation Intake Assessment in Georgia SHINES:

    1. Verify maltreatment in care exists; and

    2. Verify the Intake Assessment is classified as a Special Investigation.

  3. When the screen-out Intake Assessment involves a child in the custody of DFCS ensure email notification is provided to legal and boarding (if applicable) County Director(s) and CICC POC(s) within two hours of the screen-out Intake Assessment disposition and that the notification is documented in the Intake Assessment.

  4. Ensure the oversight authority (if applicable) is notified of the Intake Report using the Notification to Law Enforcement Agency of Abuse Neglect Report and the notification is documented in the Intake Assessment (see Practice Guidance: Oversight Authority).

​Policy Violations

The CIS will:

  1. Complete the Intake Assessment information gathering process with the reporter in accordance with policy 3.1 Intake: Receiving Intake Reports.

  2. Thoroughly analyze family functioning information gathered to make an intake decision in accordance with policy 3.2 Intake: Making an Intake Decision.

  3. Notify the following via email of the Policy Violation Assessment:

    1. The legal and boarding (if applicable) County Director(s);

    2. The legal and boarding (if applicable) CICC POC(s); and

    3. OPM (oversight authority) when it involves a CPA foster or adoptive home.

      Notify OPM using the Notification to Law Enforcement Agency of Abuse Neglect Report.

  4. Document in the Intake Assessment the notification of the Policy Violation Assessment to the County Department and the oversight authority (if applicable).

  5. Submit the Policy Violation Assessment to the CICC SSS in Georgia SHINES for approval.

The CISS will:

  1. Thoroughly analyze the family functioning information gathered to make an intake decision in accordance with policy 3.2 Intake: Making an Intake Decision.

  2. Ensure the following notifications occur upon acceptance of a Policy Violation Assessment and it is documented in the Intake Assessment:

    1. The legal and boarding (if applicable) County Director(s) and CICC POC(s) via email; and

    2. OPM (oversight authority) using the Notification to Law Enforcement Agency of Abuse Neglect Report, when the Intake Assessment involves a CPA foster or adoptive home.

​Practice Guidance

​Children in DFCS Custody

Children in the legal temporary or permanent custody of DFCS.

​DFCS Foster or Adoptive Homes

DFCS foster homes provide temporary care for children in foster care. Similarly, DFCS adoptive homes provide care for children in foster care, however, the adoptive parents have formally committed to adopting the child(ren) in their home. In addition, DFCS kinship foster homes or kinship adoptive homes, share the same corresponding responsibilities and requirements though the caregivers are kin to the children placed in their home. DFCS County Departments through Regional Resource Development are responsible for evaluating, approving and monitoring DFCS foster or adoptive homes.

​Child Placing Agency (CPA) Foster or Adoptive Homes

CPA foster homes provide temporary care for children in foster care. Similarly, CPA adoptive homes provide care for children in foster care, however, the adoptive parents have formally committed to adopting the children in their home. CPA foster and adoptive homes are evaluated, approved and administered by a CPA. A CPA is any institution, society, agency, or facility which places children in foster homes for temporary care or in prospective adoptive homes for adoption. Office of Provider Management (OPM) and Residential Child Care Licensing (RCCL) are the oversight authorities for CPA foster or adoptive homes.

​Special Investigations – Maltreatment in Care (MIC)

When intake reports are received alleging a child in DFCS custody has been abused, regardless of who has been alleged as the maltreater, the intake report must be classified as MIC in Georgia SHINES. Alternatively, when intake reports are received alleging a child in DFCS custody was abused prior to the child entering DFCS custody, the intake report is coded as a Special Investigation-Not Maltreatment in Care.

The relationship of the alleged maltreater may be different from the relationship selected on the Georgia SHINES Allegation Detail page and what is identified on the Person Detail page of the alleged maltreater. For example, the child may be in the foster care kinship placement of his aunt. On the aunt’s Person Detail page, the relationship is primary caregiver; however, if the aunt is the alleged maltreater, the aunt will be identified on the Allegation Detail page as the kin caregiver, not the aunt.

​Special Investigations – Case Name

For the protection of individual rights and ensuring confidentiality, case names are based on the placement type or setting and not the alleged maltreater or role of the alleged maltreater to the child.

SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS – CASE NAME DESCRIPTORS

DFCS Foster or Adoptive Home

  • When the alleged victim child is in DFCS custody: Place in the name of the DFCS foster or adoptive parent.

  • When the alleged victim child is in the custody of the DFCS foster or adoptive parent: Place in the name of the DFCS foster or adoptive parent.

CPA Foster or Adoptive Home

  • When the alleged victim child is in DFCS custody: Place in the name of the CPA foster or adoptive parent.

  • When the alleged victim child is in the custody of the CPA foster or adoptive parent: Place in the name of the CPA foster or adoptive parent.

NOTES

  • Trial Home Visit: Place in the name of the parent/guardian/legal custodian from whom the child was removed.

​Special Investigations Across County Lines

When an intake report involves a DFCS or CPA foster or adoptive home the case will be assigned to the county where the home is located. The assigned county will coordinate case management activities with the legal county.

​Policy Violations

Policy Violations are actions performed by a DFCS agent that may breach any DFCS policy and/or Room, Board, Watchful Oversight (RBWO) Minimum Standards, but do not constitute child abuse. For additional information on policy violations see policy 14.22 Resource Development: Policy Violations.

​Oversight Authority

​Office of Provider Management (OPM)

The OPM contracts with and monitors child caring institutions (CCI) and CPA provision of RBWO services. OPM employs various data, on-site, records review and collateral report mechanisms to monitor provider’s adherence to the RBWO Minimum Standards and contractual obligations which direct performance expectations regarding the safety, permanency and well-being of children. The foundational objective of OPM is to ensure that children placed in RBWO care are safe from abuse. OPM also provides training and technical assistance to providers to support their ability to meet quality of care and performance expectations. Send notifications of the Intake Report to OPM at opmreports@dhs.ga.gov.

​Residential Child Care Licensing (RCCL)

The RCCL unit inspects, monitors, licenses, and registers a variety of childcare facilities. The purpose of our work is to ensure that facilities and programs operate at acceptable levels, as mandated by State Statutes and by rules and regulations adopted by the Department of Human Services (DHS) Board of Human Services. Facilities requiring a license from RCCL include Child Caring Institutions, Child Placing Agencies, Outdoor Child Caring Programs, Children’s Transition Care Centers and Maternity Homes. Send notifications of the intake report to RCCL at RCCREPORTS@dhs.ga.gov or 404-657-9651.

​Forms and Tools

N/A