Child Abuse and Neglect Policy Essay

1. Purpose To inform all employees of Aprils Daycare of the requirement to report suspected child abuse (including sexual abuse) or neglect and to inform employees of their immunity from civil liability or criminal penalty for reporting. To establish procedures to be used by all employees of the daycare in making oral and written reports to the appropriate authorities of suspected cases of child abuse or neglect. To protect children from abuse and neglect. 2. Definitions Under this Policy, the abuse and neglect of a child (i.e., any individual under the age of eighteen (18) years) is defined as follows: Physical injury not necessarily visible of a child under circumstances that indicate that a child’s health or welfare is harmed or at substantial risk of being harmed; The observable, identifiable, and substantial impairment of a child’s mental or psychological ability to function; The failure to provide proper care and attention to a child, including leaving a child unattended, under circumstances that indicate that the child’s health or welfare is harmed or placed at substantial risk of harm; or Any act that involves sexual molestation or exploitation of a child (i.e., any sexual contact or conduct with a child) regardless of whether the child has physical injuries. 3. Who Must Report Any employee of the daycare who has reason to believe that a child has been subjected to abuse (including sexual abuse) or neglect (the â€Å"Reporter†) by any parent, guardian, adoptive parent or other person who has permanent or temporary care or custody or responsibility for the supervision of such child (including, without limitation, daycare employees), or any household or family member of such child, shall make a report as directed below. An employee must act on the basis of any information and belief. The law gives the Reporter very little latitude. 1. The Reporter must immediately notify and give all information required below to the head of the daycare (the  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Head†) or, if the head of the daycare is unavailable, his or her designee (the â€Å"Designee†). [NOTE: The Daycare could choose to have more than one designee.] a. If the Head and the Designee are not immediately available but will be available later during that same daycare day, the Reporte r shall wait to make the report required above to the Head or the Designee as soon as they are available. b. If neither the Head nor the Designee will be available later during that same school day, the Reporter shall follow the directions in Step 2.a. below. 2. After notifying the Head or Designee, the Reporter, along with the Head or the Designee, must make an oral report (by telephone or direct communication) as soon as possible to the local Department of Social Services or the local law enforcement agency. Contact information is as follows: CFSD 1 (866) 820-5437. a. If neither the Head nor the Designee will be available during that same school day, the Reporter shall make the oral report as soon as possible without waiting to notify the Head or the Designee. 3. The Reporter must also make a written report to the local Department of Social Services not later than forty-eight (48) hours after the contact, examination, attention, or treatment that caused the Reporter to believe that the child had been subjected to abuse (including sexual abuse) or neglect. The reporter should also send a copy of the written report to the local Licensing Agency. Contact information is as follows: (406)655-7633. o The written report must be signed either (i) by the Reporter or (ii) by the Reporter and the Head or Designee. If the Reporter signs the written report without the accompanying signature of the Head or Designee, the Head or Designee must first review the report unless neither is available to do so within the requisite forty-eight (48) hours. 4. Contents of Written Report As far as is reasonably possible, an oral or written report made under this Policy shall include the following information: the name, age, and home address of the child; the name and home address of the child’s parent or other person responsible  for the child’s care; the whereabouts of the child; the nature and extent of the abuse or neglect of the child, including any evidence or information available to the Reporter concerning possible previous instances of abuse or neglect; and any other information that would help to determine (i) the cause of the suspected abuse or neglect; and (ii) the identity of any individual responsible for the abuse or neglect. 5. Immunity Any person who in good faith makes or participates in making a report of abuse or neglect or participates in an investigation or a resulting judicial proceeding is immune by state law from any civil liability or criminal penalty that would otherwise result from making or participating in a report of abuse or neglect or participating in an investigation or a resulting judicial proceeding.