Policy 444 - Student Abuse and Neglect
Adopted on August 8, 2019
Effective August 8, 2019
The Board is concerned with the physical and mental well-being of the students of this County and will cooperate in the identification and reporting of cases of child abuse or neglect in accordance with law.
Any employee or volunteer of this County who has reasonable cause to suspect that a child is neglected or abused, including sexual abuse or sexual assault, or observes the child being subjected to conditions that are likely to result in abuse or neglect shall immediately, and not more than 24 hours after suspecting this abuse or neglect, report the circumstances to the Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) using that department's centralized intake procedure and to the building principal and / or administrator in charge of the activity if such occurs during an extra-curricular or off-campus activity. In any case where the reporter believes that the child suffered serious physical abuse or sexual abuse or sexual assault, the reporter shall also immediately report to the State Police and any law enforcement agency having jurisdiction to investigate the complaint. All of these notifications shall be individually required, and reporting of such a suspicion to one's supervisor or administrator in charge does not exempt the reporter from reporting to DHHR and / or law enforcement as required here. Additionally, any person who has reasonable cause to suspect that a child has died as a result of child abuse or neglect shall report that fact to the appropriate medical examiner or coroner.
Nothing herein shall preclude the person first suspecting abuse or neglect from notifying the appropriate agencies on their own behalf, in addition to following the reporting requirements contained herein.
Any person, official, or institution participating in good faith in any act permitted or required by this policy shall be immune from any civil or criminal liability that otherwise might result by reason of those actions.
All staff and volunteers shall be provided with a written statement setting forth the reporting requirements contained in this policy and are required to provide to the County a signed acknowledgement that they have received and understand these reporting requirements.
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