How the Child Welfare System Works

The child welfare system is a group of services designed to promote the well-being of children by ensuring safety, achieving permanency, and strengthening families to successfully care for their children. Child welfare systems are complex, and their specific procedures vary widely by State. The purpose of this is to give a brief overview of the purposes and functions of the child welfare system from a national perspective. It discusses what happens when a report of possible abuse or neglect is made, what happens when a report is screened in, and what happens in substantiated cases.