Hold Child Safety Meetings to Find the Least Restrictive Interventions

About this recommendation

When safety concerns arise in a child welfare case, removal does not always have to be the outcome. A Child Safety Meeting that includes the parent, the child (if they’re old enough), their supports, and skilled child welfare staff can sometimes identify an alternate intervention.

How to do this

Oklahoma holds a Child Safety Meeting (CSM) any time the child's current situation warrants consideration of a safety intervention. Even if an emergency intervention was made (e.g., removing the child from the home), they still strive to hold a CSM within two days.

A CSM includes:

• The parents (though if there are allegations of domestic violence, a separate CSM is held for each parent)
• The child (if they are under 12, the team may decide not to invite them, but to still find a way to represent their wants and needs)
• The family’s supports (they reach out to as many family and supports as possible; this has shown to positively impact better outcomes for children and families)
• Agency staff

While agency staff have the final decision about the way forward, a CSM gives the entire team a chance to discuss and come up with solutions that meet a specific family’s needs.

Oklahoma credits CSMs with an increased ability to serve children served preventatively and as a support in its safe reduction in the number of kids in out-of-home care.

Read all the details of how to implement your own meetings in Oklahoma’s Child Safety Meeting guide (starts on p161).

Safety Plan Template for Families