If you suspect a child is being abused or neglected, please call the Child Abuse Hotline at 1-866-820-5437.
When should I contact the Ombudsman?
If you are in any need of assistance in anything related to the Child and Family Services Division or the legal rights of children in Montana, you should contact the Ombudsman.
How do I contact the Ombudsman?
You can call the Ombudsman at 1-844-25CHILD (1-844-252-4453)
Fax the Ombudsman at (406) 444-2759
Email at [email protected]
or mail the Ombudsman at PO Box 201417, Helena, MT 59620
What happens when I call the Office of the Ombudsman?
Depending on what you need, the Ombudsman may provide resources or referrals to other services that will help get you what you need.
The Ombudsman is also an informational resource, if you are confused about anything related to Child and Family Services, the Ombudsman is able to provide an explanation.
The Ombudsman may also ask that you complete a Request for Assistance if you have a problem that may need a review.
When will I hear back from the Office of the Ombudsman?
You will hear back from the Ombudsman through call or email within 3 days of the initial contact. This will be an initial contact and does not mean that your case has been assigned to an Ombudsman. The Ombudsman will contact you when your case has been opened.
When should someone submit a Request for Assistance?
If you have questions or concerns about the actions of Montana Child and Family Services Division, please submit a request.
What happens when we get a Request for Assistance?
The Ombudsman first asks the requestor if they want to remain confidential if they prefer that the Child and Family Services Division does not know who initiated the review.
The Ombudsman then gathers all the necessary information about the case from Child and Family Services Record Management Systems.
Once the record is available for complete review, the Ombudsman will consider:
Step 1: Has the individual requesting assistance attempted to get help from the department?
Step 2: What does the individual hope will occur from the Ombudsman’s intervention?
Step 3: Is there evidence supporting the requesters concern?
The Ombudsman reviews Requests for Assistance in the order they arrive. It may take some time for the office to initiate your case.
If the request fits within the Ombudsman’s legal authority, then the Ombudsman will do a complete review.
In a review of a Request for Assistance, the Ombudsman completes a knowledgeable assessment of whether CFSD staff followed Statutes, Policies, Procedures and Practices and supported the rights of a child or a family.
The Ombudsman will communicate with requestors to discuss findings of the case review.
When is a Request for Assistance denied?
Montana law states that a case may be declined for the following reasons:
1.) the Request for Assistance is trivial, frivolous, vexatious, or not made in good faith;
2.) the Request for Assistance is too delayed to justify an investigation;
3.) the person requesting assistance is not personally aggrieved by the subject matter of the request; or
4.) the Request for Assistance has been previously investigated by the ombudsman.
The Ombudsman may also decline a request if they receive no response from the requestor after the first contact or if the Ombudsman can no longer contact the requestor.
If OCFO denies a request, this does not prevent the individual from making another request in the future and if an individual has had a request reviewed by OCFO before and has new concerns, they can also request assistance again.