Comments on: You Are a Mandated Reporter

By: Dana Childress, M.Ed.

Dana Childress, M.Ed. — Wed, 26 Oct 2016 14:31:56 +0000

In reply to April.

Great question, April. I dug around online a bit and found that federal policy dates back to 1966 and Virginia statute was first enacted in 1975. If you aren’t in Virginia, your state’s statute may have a different date. I found this great overview of mandated reporting where you could find more info: Mandatory Reporting

By: April

April — Wed, 26 Oct 2016 00:39:31 +0000

When did mandated reporting become a law?

By: Dana Childress, M.Ed.

Dana Childress, M.Ed. — Tue, 22 Apr 2014 12:04:25 +0000

In reply to Janet Hammond.

Excellent point – good communication between agencies is vital! I think your fear of what happens when the call isn’t clear cut is a very common feeling, Janet. Having a positive relationship with your local CPS can certainly help with making that call.

By: Cori Hill

Cori Hill — Mon, 14 Apr 2014 17:16:01 +0000

Timely blog with April being Child Abuse Prevention month. I share other bloggers’ concern of why is a 7 month old “falling so often.” I agree that if in doubt, report.

By: Janet Hammond

Janet Hammond — Sat, 12 Apr 2014 23:02:37 +0000

Some calls are easy to make; the kids need to be removed from harm. I was afraid of what would happen after a borderline call. Our CPS has made positive differences in the families we share. They are strict, make these parents step up – but they are respectful and can access paid supports for parents that we cannot. Its best when there is good communication between agencies.

By: Dana Childress, M.Ed.

Dana Childress, M.Ed. — Fri, 11 Apr 2014 19:22:15 +0000

In reply to Pamela Lang.

Wow, Pam, that’s so funny! Thanks so much for sharing the links directly to the VA code. And I agree, since Leila has observed several instances that concerned her, a report is probably warranted. Good luck with you paper!

By: Dana Childress, M.Ed.

Dana Childress, M.Ed. — Fri, 11 Apr 2014 19:17:40 +0000

In reply to Susan Connor.

Exactly! Comparing the reason the caregiver provides with your own knowledge of child development is a good way to evaluate the situation. But, like you said, it’s a sticky one, evaluating safety without overreacting. Asking those follow-up questions is essential!

By: Dana Childress, M.Ed.

Dana Childress, M.Ed. — Fri, 11 Apr 2014 19:15:19 +0000

In reply to Naomi Dunlap, LCSW.

It’s a great resource, Naomi! If you have any other suggestions for resources on this topic, please feel free to share!

By: Pamela Lang

Pamela Lang — Fri, 11 Apr 2014 19:00:24 +0000

HI Dana:
Interesting timing of this blog. I literally just finish my paper for my Legal and Ethical Issues in Peds. Therapy Class and switched over to check my email. Well, low and behold my paper was on mandatory reporting and legal/ethical responsibilities. Here are the reference sites for the applicable Code of Virginia regulations. (Easy to print out!)

https://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+cod+63.2-1509
http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+cod+18.2-371.1

For Grady, because we can not make a sound judgement on how those bruises occured and it is a second observation, I would refer to CPS.

By: Susan Connor

Susan Connor — Fri, 11 Apr 2014 18:02:02 +0000

In reply to Dana Childress, M.Ed..

Yes, that comment certainly raised red flags for me. i was thinking – developmentally, why is a 7 month old falling so often? and what does that mean for a 7 month old to fall? If Grady is early on pulling to stand or just a very mobile little guy, it could be possible for him to be tumbling over from a pull to stand, sitting, or from his knees, but those falls certainly would not leave major bruising or cause injury. I’d definitely want to ask some follow-up questions about his tendency for falling.

These situations are so sticky – because you don’t want to overreact and have the family involved with protective services unnecessarily, but you also want to ensure that the child is safe. Being a mandated reporter is a huge responsibility!