Keeping Children Safe When Their Parents are Arrested: Local Approaches That Work
Ginny Puddefoot, MPH, MPP, and Lisa K. Foster, MSW, MPA(CRB-07-007, July, 2007)
Children are often overlooked when their parents are arrested, but they are traumatized by the impact of this arrest on both their immediate circumstances and long-term care. Recent legislation by Assemblymember Pedro Nava encourages a coordinated local response by law enforcement and child welfare services, and requires the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) to develop guidelines and training for use by state and local law enforcement officers encountering children at an arrest scene. This report explores how these coordinated responses can best ensure children's safety and well-being and can also have benefits for both law enforcement and child welfare services. It highlights the successful joint protocols developed by several California jurisdictions and identifies key strategies for developing these approaches responses elsewhere in the state.
PDF version (2MB) is available online.
For this and other online California Research Bureau reports, please visit the California Research Bureau page on the California State Library website.