Passed by the legislature in 2012, Family Assessment Response (FAR) is a Child Protective Services pathway that does not respond by doing an investigation, but instead through a family assessment. Family assessment does not include a determination as to whether child abuse or neglect occurred, which is part of an investigation, but does determine the need for services to address the safety of the child and the risk of subsequent maltreatment. FAR workers engage with families around safety issues but also work with the family to determine services needed to improve or restore family well-being.
This 2015 policy brief provides an overview of the implementation of FAR in Washington State.
