3.32 Assigned Response Time

Georgia State Seal

Georgia Division of Family and Children Services
Child Welfare Policy Manual

Chapter:

(3) Intake

Policy Title:

Assigned Response Time

Policy Number:

3.32

Previous Policy Number(s):

N/A

Effective Date:

June 2026

Manual Transmittal:

2026-03

​Codes/References

O.C.G.A. § 15-11-131 Temporary Protective Custody by Physician Without Court Order and Without Parental Consent; Immunity (Terrell Peterson Act of 2000)
O.C.G.A. § 19-10A-1 through 19-10A-8 Safe Place for Newborns
O.C.G.A. § 49-5-8 Powers and Duties of Department of Human Services
O.C.G.A. § 15-11-390 Filing of Complaint
O.C.G.A. § 49-5-40 Definitions; Confidentiality of Records; Restricted Access to Records Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA)
Final Notice of Statewide Data Indicators and National Standards for Child and Family Services Reviews (CFSR)

​Requirements

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

  1. Prioritize the safety and well-being of children by providing prompt and effective action to Child Protective Services (CPS) Intake Reports to assure the safety and wellbeing of children in accordance with established guidelines and best practice.

  2. Utilize the Child Protective Services (CPS) Intake Communication Center (CICC) as the designated entity to assign response times prior to concluding the Intake Assessment.

  3. Determine the maximum amount of time allowed to initiate a CPS response to a screened-in Intake Assessment to address allegations of child abuse and assess child safety.

  4. Use the following criteria to assign response times to screened-in Intake Assessments:

    1. Immediate: present danger is indicated.

    2. 24 hours: impending danger is indicated, but no indication of present danger.

    3. 5 weekdays: child abuse is indicated, however there is no safety threat.

      Special circumstances involving Safe Place for Newborns, Temporary Protective Custody of a Child by Physician, and Short-Term Emergency Care (Human Trafficking) will be assigned an immediate response time due to legal mandates. In addition, Intake Assessments involving a family with a protective services alert will be assigned an immediate or 24 hours response time, when the previous allegations were not assessed, or the safety threat(s) were not addressed.

  5. Use the following criteria to assign response times to screened-in Special Investigation Intake Assessments:

    1. Immediate: present danger is indicated.

    2. 24 hours: impending danger is indicated, but no indication of present danger.

    NOTE: These reports shall not be assigned to the Initial Safety Assessment track.

  6. Calculate the duration of time allowed (response time window) for making face-to-face purposeful contact with the alleged victim child(ren) for timely initiation:

    1. Immediate and 24 hours: from the date and time of receipt of the Intake Report to within 24 hours.

    2. 5 weekdays: from the day of the receipt of the Intake Report (day one) to the end of the fifth weekday (Monday through Friday, including holidays).

​Procedures

​Centralized Intake Specialist

  1. Assign a response time when it is determined that an Intake Assessment will be screened in using the following criteria:

    1. Immediate: present danger is indicated.

    2. 24 hours: impending danger is indicated and there is no indication of a present danger situation.

    3. 5 weekdays: child abuse (maltreatment) is indicated; however, there is no indication of a safety threat.

  2. Participate in a supervisory staffing to discuss the information gathered and how it supports the response time recommendation.

​Centralized Intake Specialist Supervisor

  1. Review the information in each Intake Assessment, along with the CIS’s justification statement, to verify that the recommended response time aligns with the established criteria for determining response times.

  2. If the recommended response time is not aligned with established criteria for assigning response times discuss with the CIS, the decision to override the recommendation and provide guidance.

​Practice Guidance

Assigned Response Time Response times are assigned by the CICC prior to concluding the intake assessment based on specific criteria for screened-in intake reports. The assigned response time is the maximum amount of time allowed to make face-to-face purposeful contact with the alleged victim child(ren) and assess the child’s safety. Assigning a response time is essential for determining the urgency with which a case should be addressed. It ensures that cases involving higher risk to a child’s safety are prioritized and receive immediate attention. This systematic approach helps manage resources effectively while providing timely interventions. Ultimately, response times are critical to safeguarding children and minimizing potential harm.

Assigned Response Time – Mandated by Law Federal and state laws specify certain situations classified as “special circumstances” that fall under child welfare’s jurisdiction. Some of these special circumstances contain allegations of child abuse (e.g., Special Circumstance Intakes Involving Temporary Protective Custody of a Child by Physician). In these situations, federal or state mandates dictate the assigned response time.

Assigned Response Times Versus Timeframe to Initiate Special Circumstances (No Maltreatment) Assigned response times are exclusively for CPS Intake Reports of child abuse. In contrast, the timeframe to initiate the assessment applies in special circumstances where there are no allegations of child abuse (e.g., Special Circumstances Intakes involving a child withdrawn from public school). In these situations, the timeframe for initiating the assessment refers to the period allowed to contact the family or another person who can provide essential information regarding the case.

​Forms and Tools

N/A