The Division maintains a physical paper file and an electronic record in FACES for all CA/N investigations, family assessments and referrals. In the absence of the physical paper file, the information maintained in FACES is the Division’s official record.
Requests for copies of case records may be received from many sources including a family’s legal representative, the reporter, medical personnel, interdisciplinary team members and others. If a written request is made by an individual who is entitled to receive a copy of the Division’s record and the physical paper file cannot be located, staff should retrieve information maintained within FACES that is pertinent to the request, and provide the requestor with a redacted version of that information in response to his/her request. This would include any record which was converted into FACES from the Division’s prior electronic system.
Related Subject: Section 5 Chapter 2.5 Record Access
| Court Adjudicated | Before 8/28/91 – Expunge 10 years from date of CA/N Report or case closing | On or after 8/28/91 – Retain indefinitely | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reason to Suspect | Before 8/27/94 – Destroy 10 years from date of report or closing of case (which ever is later.) | N/A | |||||
| Probable Cause | N/A | On or after 8/28/94 through 8/27/04 – Retain Indefinitely | N/A | ||||
| Preponderance of Evidence | N/A | On or After 8/28/04 -, Retain Indefinitely | |||||
| Child Abuse/Neglect Present, Perpetrator Unidentified | Retain forever | ||||||
| Unsubstantiated or Unsubstantiated-Preventive Services Indicated | Before 8/28/91- All information pertaining to the Investigation shall be destroyed 90 days from the CA/N report date | On or after August 28, 1991 through August 27, 1999 – The case shall be destroyed five years from the date of the CA/N report, case closing or from the date of the last report if there were subsequent reports. | On or after 8/28/99 through and 8/27/00 – Destroy two years from the date of CA/N report finding or if a case is opened as a result of CA/N report or subsequent reports are received destroy five years from the case closing or from the date of the last subsequent report, whichever is later. | On or After 8/28/00 – If made by permissive reporter, destroy 2 years from the conclusion of CA/N report.
On or after 8/28/18: If made by permissive reporter, destroy 5 years from the conclusion of CA/N report. |
|||
| On or after 8/28/00 through 8/27/04. If the ca/n was made by a mandated reporter destroy 10 years from the date of CA/N report |
On or after 8/28/04: If made by mandated reporter, destroy 5 years from the date of CA/N report.
On or after 8/28/18: If made by mandated reporter, destroy 10 years from the date of CA/N report. |
||||||
| Unsubstantiated and Report was Found to be Harassment | N/A | On or after 8/28/05 – Destroy identifying information 45 days from conclusion | |||||
| Located Out of State or Home Schooling |
Destroyed five years from the date of the report, case closing or from the date of the last report if there were subsequent reports. | ||||||
| Inappropriate Report | Destroy record immediately if CA/N is concluded as “Inappropriate Report”. | ||||||
| Unable to Locate | Destroy 10 years from date of report or closing of a case (whichever is later.) | ||||||
| Family Assessments | Retain Indefinitely | ||||||
| A, M, N, and P, Referrals | Destroy 5 years after closing date unless an FCS case was open at the time of the referral or subsequent to the referral. In the above situations, the information should be placed in the record and retained based on policy. |
||||||
| F-Referrals | Retain Indefinitely | ||||||