Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/the-new-untouchables-risk-management-of-child-abuse-in-child-care-new-laws-and-trends/5006651/
-New Laws and Trends-Fourth in a four part series-
We begin this last in a four part series with an emphasis on how to stay out of trouble, but perhaps a better title for this section would be "Eight Ways to See an Attorney!" We review the range of actions and possibilities that have legal implications for child care directors. Despite changing laws and variations with state standards, the following situations can have grave implications for you and your program.
Failure to notice child abuse. As a director or supervisor, you must make the prevention of child abuse an important priority in the scheme of operations. Obviously, training is a key element in determining what types of behavior cannot be condoned. It may be useful to involve your local human resources agency to help you identify physical and psychological symptoms of abuse. Remember, "failure to train" can be an important element in the prosecutor's case against you. Although training should occur as often as necessary, we recommend, at the very least, an annual in-service training to review your standards, laws, and procedures on child abuse.
You notice child abuse but fail to report it. Most child ...