Utah Code 80-2-403. Child welfare caseworker safety and risk assessments

80-2-403. Child welfare caseworker safety and risk assessments.

(1)	A child welfare caseworker within the division shall use evidence-informed or evidence-based safety and risk assessments to guide decisions concerning a child throughout a child protection investigation or proceeding.

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Child: means , except as provided in Section 80-2-905, an individual who is under 18 years old. See Utah Code 80-1-102
Division: means the Division of Child and Family Services created in Section 80-2-201. See Utah Code 80-2-102
Evidence-based: means a program or practice that has had multiple randomized control studies or a meta-analysis demonstrating that the program or practice is effective for a specific population or has been rated as effective by a standardized program evaluation tool. See Utah Code 80-1-102
Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
Guardian: means a person appointed by a court to make decisions regarding a minor, including the authority to consent to:

(a)

marriage;

(b)	enlistment in the armed forces;

(c)	major medical, surgical, or psychiatric treatment; or

(d)

legal custody, if legal custody is not vested in another individual, agency, or institution. See Utah Code 80-1-102

Harm: means :

(a)	physical or developmental injury or damage;

(b)	emotional damage that results in a serious impairment in the child's growth, development, behavior, or psychological functioning;

(c)	sexual abuse; or

(d)

sexual exploitation. See Utah Code 80-1-102

(2)

As part of an evidence-informed or evidence-based safety and risk assessment, the child welfare caseworker shall assess at least the following:

(a)	threat to the child’s safety;

(b)	protective capabilities of a parent or guardian, including the parent or guardian‘s readiness, willingness, and ability to plan for the child’s safety;

(c)	the child’s particular vulnerabilities;

(d)	interventions required to protect the child; and

(e)	likelihood of future harm to the child.

Renumbered and Amended by Chapter 334, 2022 General Session