Conferences & Training

Differential Response Conference

Save the Date: Nov. 8-10, 2010

American Humane’s 2010 Conference on Differential Response in Child Welfare will be held Nov. 8-10, 2010, at Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel in Anaheim, Calif.

Watch for the Call for Presentations in January 2010.

This conference aims to build knowledge and skills, disseminate ongoing practices and provide an exchange of ideas across states, counties and provinces on a range of topics related to implementing and sustaining differential response in child welfare.

Learn more about American Humane’s differential response initiative.

We hope to see you in Anaheim!

Background on Differential Response in Child Welfare

Since the mid-1990s, an increasing number of states have been implementing differential response in their child protective services systems. Differential response, also referred to as “dual track,” “multiple track” or “alternative response,” is an approach that allows child protective services to respond differently to accepted reports of child abuse and neglect. While there is great variation among the states’ implementation of differential response, the assessment pathway is generally applied to low- and moderate-risk cases with no immediate safety concerns. The families in these cases receive a family assessment and are offered timely, strengths-based services without a formal determination or substantiation of child abuse or neglect. The investigative response is typically reserved for accepted high-risk reports that may involve egregious harm to children. While the ability to offer choices in how agencies respond to reports of child maltreatment intuitively makes sense, implementing such a child protective services system is a complex and intricate proposition. Learn more about Differential Response and past conferences.