IntroductionChild maltreatment is prevalent. A sizable percentage of young adults reported having been mistreated, neglected, or abused as children. One in five reported being left alone at a time when a parent should have supervised them on three or more occasions. About 14% reported being physically assaulted (slapped, kicked, or hit) three or more times. One in 20 reported going without basic needs (food, clothing or cleanliness) three or more times. Approximately 1 in 25 (4.5%) report having been sexually abused by a parent or guardian on three or more occasions before entering sixth grade (Hussey, Chang, & Kotch, 2006). The Child Protective Services (CPS) system. has the task of protecting victims of child abuse and neglect. However, when an act of child abuse has the potential to be a criminal act, law enforcement will also conduct an investigation. In approximately 49% of cases of serious physical abuse and almost 75% of cases of child sexual abuse, both the CPS and law enforcement agencies conduct investigations (Cross, Finkelhor, & Ormond, 2005). Historically, the conflict of philosophies, where the CPS believes that the police are a tough, determined and law enforcement-oriented institution, indifferent to the needs of families; and the police see the CPS as “bleeding hearts” who fail to see the evil in offenders and whose interference can jeopardize criminal proceedings; has resulted in restrictions that are believed to have caused harm to the children they are intended to protect (Cross, Finkelhor, & Ormond, 2005) (Smith, Witte, & Fricker-Elhai, 2006). However, the CPS system has been criticized for limitations that are believed to cause greater harm to children... half of paper... treatment, 100-113. National Children's Alliance. (2011, October 30). Multimedia room: National Children's Alliance. Retrieved from National Children's Alliance: http://www.nationalchildrensalliance.org/mediaroomReardon, C. (2009, March/April). Child advocates reduce the trauma of abuse. Social service today, pp. 1-2. Smith, D. W., Witte, T. H., & Fricker-Elhai, A. E. (2006). Service outcomes in cases of physical and sexual abuse: a comparison of standard and child protection centre-based services. Child maltreatment, 354-360. Walsh, W. A., Simone, M., & Jones, L. (2003). Prosecution of child abuse: A meta-analysis of criminal justice adjudication rates. Trauma, violence and abuse, 323-340. Wolfteich, P., & Loggins, B. (2007). Evaluation of the child protection center model: results in terms of efficiency, legality and revictimization. Social service diary for children and adolescents, 333-352.