The first Dependency and Neglect Best Practice Manual, DN manual for short, was published in 2013 as a way of helping judges, attorneys, CPS workers, guardians ad litem, and Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) volunteers make decisions regarding child safety.

The purpose of the manual is to identify best practices and to encourage participants to use them whenever possible. Best practice standards are meant to supplement – not supplant – existing Montana law.

The manual divides the “average” abuse and neglect case into different stages, and then describes the purpose, process to be followed, and the respective roles of the relevant parties.