Child Protective Services

Physical Abuse: In summary, physical abuse is causing serious physical harm and injury by other than accidental means. The full statutory definition can be found in Wis Ch. 48.02(1)(a).

Neglect: In summary, neglect is seriously endangering the physical health of a child by not providing necessary care, food, clothing, shelter, medical or dental care or supervision for reasons other than poverty. The full statutory definition can be found in Wis Ch. 48.02(12g).

Sexual Abuse: In summary, sexual abuse is sexual intercourse or sexual touching of a child, forced viewing of sexual activity, child sex trafficking or sexual exploitation. The full statutory definition can be found in Wis Ch. 48.02(1)(b)-(f).

Emotional Abuse: In summary emotional abuse is serous harm to a child’s psychological or intellectual functioning for which the parents have not provided the needed treatment. The full statutory definition can be found in Wis Ch. 48.02(1)(gm).

Once a report of child abuse or neglect is received, the CPS Unit makes a screening decision and based on that will either screen in the report for investigation, screen out the report, meaning no action will be taken or screen in a Child Welfare Concern. If a report is screened in for investigation or as a Child Welfare concern, contact will be make with you and a worker will explain the process to you further.

If you believed that a child (age 0 – 17) has been abused, neglected or is at risk of abuse or neglect, you should contact Oneida County Human Services at 715-362-5695 and ask to speak to a CPS Access Worker.

Our Office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Afterhours and on weekends, you can contact Oneida County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch at 715-361-5201.

If you have concerns regarding a child or you feel a child or family could use some services or resources, you should contact Oneida County Human Services at 715-362-5695 and ask to speak to a CPS Access Worker. You do not have to know if your concerns meet the criteria of child abuse or neglect, we will walk you through making a report and our CPS Unit will make a determination on how we will respond to your concerns.

If you have never made a report to CPS before, don’t worry, our CPS Access workers will walk you through making a report and ask you a set of questions to gather as much information as we can.

If you do not know something we ask, you can just simply respond that you do not know.

The following is a general list of questions that we will ask in order to obtain as much information as we can; additional questions may be asked to obtain clarification or more information regarding the child or family:

• Child(ren)’s name(s) and date of birth or age if possible; including all children within the home, not just the child victim.
• Parent(s) name(s) and date of birth or age if possible
• Family Address and phone number(s)
• Details of your concerns or allegations of child abuse or neglect
• School or daycare information for the child and any other child in the home, the children’s level of functioning (i.e. do they have any special needs?)
• Are there any foreseeable changes within the family that would make it difficult to fulfill CPS responsibilities? (i.e. is the family moving?, is the family uncooperative?)
• Are you aware of any domestic violence within the home environment?
• How do you think the family would respond to the CPS Agency?
• Does the parent(s) work? Where? The parents level of functioning (do they have any cognitive impairments? Mental Health diagnoses? Drug or alcohol abuse?
• How would you describe the family functioning? What is the family strengths? Stressors?

No. State law protects reporter confidentiality. We will not disclose your name to the family. With that said, we cannot protect you from a family assuming or guessing who made a report based on the information that was reported, but if a family asks who made the report, we will respond to the family that reporter information is confidential and cannot be released to them.

If you are a mandated reporter, such as a teacher, doctor or other professional required to report suspected maltreatment by law, a letter will be sent to you that provides general information about the intervention taken with the family.

For relatives who make a report, they may request in writing that they receive information about the Agency’s intervention and based on review, they may be provided general information about the intervention taken with the family. This is determined on a case-by-case basis.

All other non-mandated reporters will not receive feedback about the agency’s intervention and this is to protect the family’s confidentiality.

Access: What Happens When You Make a Call | Wisconsin Department of Children and Families

Mandated Child Abuse and Neglect Reporters | Wisconsin Department of Children and Families