Department of Children and Family Services - Warrant Tracking System

About the Program

Category: Information Technology (Best in Category)

Year: 2016

The Department of Children and Family Services’ (DCFS) Warrant Tracking System (WTS) is a web-based system that tracks the status of warrant applications from the time of submission through closure. The WTS was developed to facilitate communication and sharing of information between DCFS and Office of the County Counsel (County Counsel). A unified system was designed to track the automation and status of warrant requests by Children’s Social Workers (CSWs), Supervising Children’s Social Workers (SCSWs), warrant liaisons (from DCFS’ Emergency Response Command Post), and County Counsel. The WTS allows CSWs to submit warrant requests electronically, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, including afterhours, weekends, and holidays. Warrant liaisons and County Counsel staff are available, at all times, to immediately process warrant requests, obtain judicial approval, and transmit court authorized warrants back to the CSWs within two to four hours. The WTS retains information and collects new information in real time, which permits a seamless transition between daytime and nighttime operations, improving timeframes, and enabling the filing of warrants at any time. In addition, the high level of efficiency and productivity made possible by WTS has allowed the Department to accommodate the yearly increase in requests for warrants.