What is the relationship between placement screening and safety planning?

• A. Screening is an initial check that informs placement decisions; safety planning is ongoing risk management during placement.
• B. Screening and safety planning are unrelated.
• C. Safety planning replaces screening.
• D. Screening alone guarantees child safety without risk management.

Answer: (A)

Screening and safety planning work together as a continuous process. Screening is the initial check that looks at the child, the home, and the fit for placement to determine whether a placement is appropriate and what basic safety considerations are present. Safety planning then takes over as an ongoing, active process during the placement, outlining concrete steps to reduce risk, respond to warnings, and adapt to new information or changing circumstances.

Because risk can change over time, safety planning isn’t a one‑and‑done task; it’s reviewed and updated regularly based on monitoring, incident reports, and evolving needs. In this way, screening informs the placement decision and the initial safeguards, while safety planning provides the ongoing risk management that helps keep the child safe throughout the placement.