Access Response Time Pilot

Currently, when a report of child maltreatment is screened in at Access, local Child Protective Services (CPS) agencies use the information in the report to assign one of three response times based on the presence or absence of danger threats. Data shows that these decisions vary widely across the state, and local CPS agency staff and supervisors have said that the process is often ambiguous and more complicated than it needs to be.

Since November 1, 2024, six CPS agencies (see below) have been testing a new method of determining response times for reports that are screened in at Access. The pilot agencies are using a streamlined list of factors to determine whether to respond to a screened-in report within 24 hours or five business days. The new criteria allow Initial Assessment professionals to meet with families and gather more information before safety threats are identified.

The changes have been so well-received that each agency in Cohort 1 opted to continue implementation through the end of the pilot. (Originally, Cohort 1 was planning to stop at the end of April.)

Cohort 2 begins on July 1 and will continue what has been an exciting process of learning and gathering agencies’ insights and experiences.