The Children and Family Services Unit provides a broad range of services. These services are provided both on a voluntary basis as well as by Court Order (involuntary basis). The funding for services provided come from a myriad of funding sources including the State of Wisconsin, Iowa County, grants, donations, and fees charged for services. The functions provided include:

Child abuse/neglect investigations.

Ongoing case management services. These include direct family counseling, school and family liaison services, family assessment and service planning, monitoring of Court ordered services coordinating and working with the sub-contracted service providers, coordinating community services for the children and their families, providing information and support regarding Court processes, referrals for alternate care placements, coordinating services with the family and the alternate care provider and other services necessary to provide appropriate services to children and their families to meet their needs and to keep families intact.

Referral and monitoring of sub-contracted in-home family therapy and parent education services. In-home family therapy for children 12 years of age and under and parent education services is provided by Lutheran Social Services. In-home family therapy for children 13 years of age to 18 years of age is provided by Orion. The in-home teams work individually with the child identified as having personal, family relationship, social, and/or school problems as well as working with the entire family.

Foster care, group home care, or child caring institutions are alternate care sites for children who are determined to be in need of placement outside of their parental/family home. We assess and coordinate placement of children, when necessary, outside of their parental home and develop the permanency plan for these children and work toward family reunification when possible.

Foster home recruitment and licensing. Foster home license renewal is also provided as well as training of new foster parents and ongoing training for foster parents currently licensed.

Foster Care Fact Sheet PDF


Custody, visitation, and physical placement studies. These are provided as a service to the Court and the community although these are not mandated services. A fee is charged for these studies.

Intake, information and referral services are provided for anyone who calls in or walks into the Agency and is seeking services or information with regard to available services in Iowa County with regard to children, adults, elderly, and families.

On call, 24-hours, seven days per week, coverage is rotated among the social work staff in order to provide emergency information and services to children/families and adults after hours and on weekends and holidays.

Coordination and collaboration with the District Attorney and Corporation Counsel regarding cases requiring Court action. These include alleged sexual assault investigations or severe child abuse/neglect investigations, as well as issues of confidentiality change in out-of-home placements, and all other child related issues that may require legal intervention.

Coordination and collaboration of services with other community service providers. Other providers include, but are not limited to, mental health and/or AODA providers, medical service providers, low income housing providers, probation and parole agents, law enforcement agencies, public health department, Job Center, domestic abuse shelters and counseling service agencies, schools, the Family Resource Center, private agencies who provide foster homes, treatment foster homes and group homes when needed to meet the needs of children needing placement outside of their family home, as well as child caring institutions, and many other service providers both in and outside of Iowa County.