What is the Role of Child Welfare Services?

Child welfare services in Wisconsin exist to protect children and support families through difficult times. When safety concerns arise, local and state agencies step in to assess the situation, provide services, and—when necessary—arrange for temporary out-of-home care.

These services may involve:

1. Child Protective Services (CPS): Investigates reports of abuse or neglect and determines if a child is safe in their current home.
2. Caseworkers or Social Workers: Assigned to families to monitor progress, offer resources, and coordinate care.
3. Family Court: Oversees custody decisions, permanency planning, and the legal rights of parents and caregivers.

The overall goal of the child welfare system is to keep children safe, help families heal, and build long-term permanency—whether that’s reunification, guardianship, or adoption.

Tips for Building a Positive Relationship with Caseworkers

Caseworkers are essential partners in supporting the child in your care. Developing a respectful, collaborative relationship with them can ease stress and help you advocate more effectively.

1. Here are some practical tips:
   1. Communicate clearly and consistently
      1. Return calls, respond to emails, and document important updates. If something changes with the child’s health, behavior, or school performance, let your caseworker know.
   2. Keep records of all communications
      1. Maintain a folder or notebook for notes from meetings, court dates, and case plan updates.
   3. Ask questions when you’re unsure
      1. The process can be confusing—don’t hesitate to request clarification about expectations, deadlines, or paperwork.
   4. Share concerns with respect
      1. If you disagree with a recommendation or feel your voice isn’t being heard, raise concerns calmly and constructively.
   5. Focus on the child’s needs
      1. Caseworkers are most responsive when they know you’re prioritizing the child’s emotional and physical well-being.

Your Rights and Responsibilities as a Caregiver or Parent

Regardless of your role—birth parent, relative caregiver, or licensed foster parent—you have legal rights and responsibilities when working with child welfare services.

Your Rights:

1. 1. To be treated with respect and dignity
   2. To receive clear, timely communication
   3. To be involved in case planning and court proceedings
   4. To access support services, training, and information
   5. To have your cultural background and family structure respected

Your Responsibilities:

1. 1. To ensure the child’s safety and well-being
   2. To attend required meetings, trainings, and court hearings
   3. To maintain confidentiality around the child’s case
   4. To collaborate with the child’s team and follow the case plan

Download the Wisconsin Bill of Rights for Parents & Caregivers.

Resources for Support and Advocacy

You are not alone. These resources offer guidance, legal help, and peer connections as you navigate the child welfare system.

• Information for Parents at the Start of a CPS Initial Assessment
  Essential information for parents regarding the Child Protective Services (CPS) Initial Assessment process, including what you can expect will happen, an overview of CPS’s legal authority, outcomes, resources, and much more.
• An Introduction to Child Welfare For Parents, By Parents
  Information from parents who were at some point engaged with the State of Wisconsin Child Welfare System within their local communities. The topics listed will provide parents with basic details on specific areas that may arise as they engage with child welfare professionals.
• Understanding the Language of Child Welfare: A Resource for Parents
  An overview of Wisconsin’s child welfare system, its purpose, processes, and key terms.
• Reunification from Foster Care: A Guide for Parents
  This factsheet from the Child Welfare Information Gateway focuses on the steps that will help parents navigate the process of reunifying with their children after being in foster care. It introduces the team that will work with them throughout the process and discusses their rights as parents. It explains how they will work with their caseworker to make a plan for reunification and describes how partnering with their child’s resource parent can help bring them and their family together again.

Recorded Trainings

Let’s Talk: Partnering with Birth Parents A practical mini-training on the concrete steps foster parents and birth parents can take together to build collaborative relationships — keeping children’s best interests at the center of everything.

Working in Partnership with Birth Parents Warmth and decades of real fostering experience guide this training on building meaningful, effective partnerships with birth parents — presented by a foster and adoptive parent of 14 children.

Foster Parents Supporting Birth Parents: Considerations for Success Practical guidance for foster parents on how to provide meaningful support to birth parents navigating the child welfare system — and how to make that relationship work for everyone, especially the child.

Let’s Talk: Reunification An open, honest conversation about reunification — one of foster care’s most emotionally complex milestones — and how all the adults involved can support children through the transition home.

Downloadable Handouts

Birth Parent and Caregiver Partnerships: Working Together to Support Reunification Guidance for birth parents and caregivers on building a collaborative relationship centered on the child’s needs — and the shared goal of a successful path to reunification.

Shared Parenting Starts with Strong Communication Skills Practical tips for foster caregivers and birth parents on building the communication habits that support a child’s stability and keep reunification within reach.

Parents Working Together for a Brighter Holiday Season Guidance for birth parents and foster and kinship caregivers on collaborating during the holiday season to create consistent, positive experiences for the children they both love.

Virtual Resource Kit: Working with Birth Parents A curated collection of resources for foster and kinship caregivers on building respectful, collaborative relationships with birth parents in support of the child’s well-being and reunification.

Practical Tip Sheets

Shared Parenting: Putting the Needs of Children First A look at why shared parenting matters for children in foster care — and how collaboration between birth parents, foster parents, and other caregivers reduces stress and supports better outcomes for kids.

Planning Ahead: Working Together for Successful Interactions Practical strategies for caregivers and birth parents on building a strong, supportive relationship that makes visits and interactions go more smoothly for everyone — especially the children.

Setting Healthy Boundaries in a Co-Parenting Relationship: Honest, practical guidance for birth parents, foster parents, and caregivers on establishing the boundaries that make co-parenting relationships sustainable, respectful, and focused on what matters most.

How Do I Choose an Adoption Agency to Help Me Make an Adoption Plan? A compassionate guide for birth parents considering an adoption plan — covering what to look for in an agency and how to find trustworthy support for one of the most significant decisions of your life.