10:129-5.5 Other notification at conclusion of investigation

10:129-5.5 Other notification at conclusion of investigation

	(a) The child protective investigator shall advise the following people whether further services shall be offered or provided to a child or to his or her family, upon completion of the investigation:

		1. The caregiver with physical custody at the time of the incident;

		2. The parent with whom the child normally resides; and

		3. The parent to whom the alleged child victim will be returned, if the alleged child victim was in an institution at the time of the incident.

		(b) The child protective investigator shall advise each alleged child victim of the following information, upon completion of the investigation:

		1. That the investigation has been completed;

		2. The finding of the investigation; and

		3. What efforts will be made to protect him or her from further harm and how such protection will occur.

		(c) The child protective investigator shall advise each alleged child victim of the information specified in (b) above, in a manner determined to be consistent with and appropriate to the alleged child victim‘s age, condition and ability to understand the basis for the Department‘s involvement; the alleged child victim‘s ability to cope with the information; and the alleged child victim‘s ability to participate in the development, discussion or implementation of the case plan pursuant to N.J.S.A. 9:6-8.10a(c).

		(d) The child protective investigator may, and upon written request shall, advise the reporter of the disposition of the investigation, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 9:6-8.10a(b)(18).

		(e) The child protective investigator shall forward information to the police in whose jurisdiction the child victim resides, within 10 days from the date upon which the child protective investigator makes a substantiated finding, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 9:6-8.10a(e). The written information regarding the report shall include:

		1. The name and age of each child victim and his or her address;

		2. The name and age of each of the child victim‘s siblings, if any, obtained by the child protective investigator during his or her investigation;

		3. The name of each perpetrator, his or her address, and his or her relationship to each child victim;

		4. The name and address of the institution, if the incident occurred in an institution;

		5. The date the State Central Registry created the report;

		6. The date the child protective investigator completed the investigation;

		7. Whether the substantiated finding was abuse, neglect, or a combination thereof;

		8. A summary of the circumstances of the incident, including a description of the child‘s injuries, if any, and a statement about the severity of the incident;

		9. A statement as to whether a child protective investigator reported the incident to the county prosecutor; and

		10. A statement as to whether a child protective investigator investigated a prior allegation of abuse or neglect regarding the alleged child victim.

		(f) The child protective investigator shall advise the police that the information provided must be kept confidential pursuant to N.J.S.A. 9:6-8.10a(e), in the notification, whereby the police shall be prohibited from sharing the information with anyone except as authorized under the provisions of N.J.S.A. 9:6-8.10a.

		(g) The child protective investigator shall advise the police, in writing, to destroy the information regarding the substantiated report, if a substantiated finding was later reversed by an appeal or a court order, and a Department representative had notified the police of the substantiated report under these rules.

		(h) The child protective investigator may advise others, including the non-custodial parent, of the finding only as permitted by N.J.S.A. 9:6-8.10a.