About Children’s Protective Services
Hours of reporting child abuse/neglect: Children’s Protective Services (CPS) can receive reports of child abuse/neglect Monday to Friday 8am-5pm. After hours and on weekends these reports need to be reported to Warm Springs Police Department.
CPS does not have the infrastructure to provide after hours child abuse/neglect response and social investigation. In addition, the Tribal Code does not allow CPS to remove children if and when child abuse/neglect is substantiated; Tribal Code only allows the Warm Springs Police Department and Tribal Court the authority to remove children from a parent and/or guardian.
Hours of CPS and CPS Center business hours: The CPS Center is an emergency shelter that is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The need for the CPS Center is high due to the ongoing need for emergency placement when children are removed, in addition to short term placement while alternative (relative or regular foster care) placement is being researched. The CPS Administration is open Monday to Friday 8am-5pm, and closed on tribally approved holidays.
April is designated as Child Abuse Prevention month.
During this month, CPS sponsors the annual child abuse prevention walk with a meal, ongoing foster care recruitment within the community and surrounding community, blue ribbons are put up around the community, and KWSO promotes (plays) child abuse prevention tidbits.
Mission
Children’s Protective Services (CPS) empowers parents, families, and community members through support, accountability and cultural teachings to give all children an optimal start in life with opportunities for a bright and positive future. Ultimately, CPS is here to provide prevention and intervention services to families in need so that the family system has the opportunity to learn the skills needed to keep the family safe and together.
Who is Eligible?
The families and children that are eligible for services are the ones that are court ordered and involved with CPS (e.g. CPS is granted temporary custody of children while parents work towards reunification, or cases where the parent or guardian has temporary legal custody while CPS monitors the case for a short period of time).
Commonly Asked Questions
How do I report suspicion of child abuse or neglect? During business hours call CPS at 541-553-3209. After hours and on weekends call Warm Springs Police Department (dispatch) at 541-553-1171. Know the following important facts:
- Living on the reservation or not.
- Firsthand knowledge of the alleged abuse or neglect (not second or third hand).
- Full name of child, date of birth or age.
- Full name of parent/s or legal guardian, address both physical and mailing.
- Basic information of allegation; e.g. witness physical beating with a switch to the child, date/time of incident, other witnesses.
- Reporting party information (this is confidential and CPS does not breach confidentiality to reveal the reporting party, pending appropriate disclosure for legal reasons).