Legal Definitions - risk assessment

Definition: Risk assessment is a process used in family law to determine the likelihood that a person, usually a parent, will harm a child. Before a child can be taken away from their family by the government, a risk assessment should be done to figure out if the child is in danger of being hurt in the future.

Example: Let's say a child's parents are going through a divorce, and the court needs to decide who the child will live with. The court might order a risk assessment to be done to see which parent is more likely to provide a safe and healthy environment for the child. The assessment might look at things like the parent's history of drug or alcohol abuse, their mental health, and their ability to provide for the child's basic needs.

Another example: A child protective services agency might receive a report that a child is being neglected or abused by their parents. Before the agency can remove the child from the home, they will do a risk assessment to determine if the child is in immediate danger and if removal is necessary to protect the child's safety.

These examples illustrate how risk assessment is used to evaluate the potential harm to a child and make decisions about their safety and well-being.