5.9.2
Reporting Suspicion of Child Abuse
Child Abuse Policy and Procedures
Child Abuse Policy
Shasta Head Start employees are mandated reporters and are required to report the suspicion of child abuse/neglect to Children and Family Services (CFS). SHS adheres to guidelines of nondisclosure of suspected child abuse to the enrolled family and will preserve the confidentiality of all records adverting to child abuse in conformance with state law. Each family receives information titled, “20 Facts About and 20 Ways of Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect” found in the Family Handbook. Failure to report suspected child abuse may result in a penalty of six months imprisonment and a $1,000 fine. In addition, neglecting to report suspected child abuse may result in employee termination from Shasta Head Start.
Suspected Child Abuse/Neglect Reporting Procedures
If a SHS staff has knowledge of or observes a child whom they know or reasonably suspect has been the victim of child abuse or neglect, the staff shall make an initial report by telephone to Children and Family Services (each county’s contact information below) immediately or as soon as is practicably possible.
SHS Staff who witnessed the incident, or who the disclosure was made to, shall prepare and send or fax a written Suspected Child Abuse Report within 36 hours (including weekends) of receiving the information concerning the incident
1. Scan the completed Suspected Child Abuse Report to the “CFS Folder”. The Family Services Manager will review the written report prior to staff submitting it to CFS.
2. Licensing requires an Unusual Incident Report (UIR) be completed if the incident is filed from a licensed childcare facility. Licensing also requires a phone call to report the UIR prior to the written report being faxed.
IMPORTANT: Before calling in a report to CCL, make the following notifications:
1. Notify your Area Manager, and
2. One of the Child Development Department (CD) Managers. The UIR must be approved by a Child Development Manager prior to submission to CCL.
3. Place all Suspected Child Abuse Reports in a separate envelope labeled “confidential” and file them in the locking child file cabinet. Add them back to the child file when closing the file at the end of the program year.
4. All Suspected Child Abuse Reports will be placed in a separate envelope, labeled CFS Confidential and filed in the locking child file cabinet (not in the child’s file). This confidential envelope will remain locked in the filing cabinet where the child files are stored.
At the conclusion of the program year, the Suspected Child Abuse Report in the “Confidential” envelope will be placed in the closed child file for that program year.
Children and Family Services Contacts:
Shasta County
Children and Family Services (CFS)
1313 Yuba St.
Redding, CA 96001
Phone: 530-225-5650; After Hours 530-225-5144
Fax: 530-245-6939
Siskiyou County
Adult & Child Protective Services
2060 Campus Drive
Yreka, CA 96097
Phone: 530-841-4200; After Hours 530-842-7009
Fax: 530-841-4238
Trinity County
Child Protective Services (CPS)
P.O. Box 1470
Weaverville, CA 96093
24-Hour Line 530-623-1314 or 1-800-851-5658
Fax: 530-623-1488
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