Child Protection Unit

If maltreatment of a child is found, a child protection worker is assigned to work with the family to:

• Provide services to the parent or guardian and the children.
• Monitor the safety of the children.

In cases where the children need to be placed in foster care, or the family is uncooperative with voluntary services, we may file a Child in Need of Protection or Services (CHIPS) petition in Juvenile Court to ensure the safety of the child.

When a CHIPS petition is filed in Juvenile Court, a hearing is held during which the parent or guardian can either admit to the petition or ask for a trial. The parent or guardian and older children have the right to have an attorney represent them.

A guardian ad litem will be appointed to evaluate and make recommendations to the judge about what is in the best interests of the child. The judge will decide whether the child is in need of protection or services. If so, a case plan is prepared that outlines:

• Goals the parent or guardian must meet before the child can be returned to their care.
• Services that Ramsey County Human Services will provide to assist the family.
• Regularly scheduled court appearances to update the judge on the progress in resolving the issues.

The case plan may also include services such as drug testing, chemical dependency treatment, parenting classes, adequate housing and regular visitation.

By law, the primary goal of all child protection cases is to keep a child with the family or return a child to the family if it is safe and in the child’s best interests. If a child must be placed in foster care for his or her safety, Social Services works with the family to safely reunite the child and the family when possible. A relative may be considered for foster care.