Suspected Child Abuse Reporting
September 10, 2012
Implementation Date: October 1, 2012
Definitions:
As used in this Policy, the term:
· “Abused” means subjected to child abuse.
· “Child” means any person under 18 years of age.
· “Child abuse” means:
a) Physical injury or death inflicted upon a child by a parent or caretaker thereof by other than accidental means; provided, however, that physical forms of discipline may be used as long as there is no physical injury to the child;
b) Neglect or exploitation of a child by a parent or caretaker thereof;
c) Sexual abuse of a child; or
d) Sexual exploitation of a child.
· “Library personnel” mean persons employed by or volunteering at a Gwinnett County Public Library facility or program.
Reporting Requirements:
Library personnel having reasonable cause to believe that a child has been abused shall report or cause reports of that abuse to be made to the person in charge of the facility, or the designated delegate thereof. An employee or volunteer who makes a report to the person designated shall be deemed to have fully complied with this Policy.
Under no circumstances shall any person in charge of such facility, or the designated delegate thereof, to whom such notification has been made, exercise any control, restraint, modification, or make other change to the information provided by the reporter, although each of the aforementioned persons may be consulted prior to the making of a report and may provide any additional, relevant, and necessary information when making the report.
The person in charge of such facility, or the designated delegate thereof, to whom such notification has been made, shall make an oral report immediately, but in no case later than 24 hours from the time there is reasonable cause to believe a child has been abused, by telephone or otherwise and followed by a report in writing, if requested, to a child welfare agency providing protective services, as designated by the Department of Human Services, or, in the absence of such agency, to an appropriate police authority or district attorney.
Such reports shall contain the names and addresses of the child and the child's parents or caretakers, if known, the child's age, the nature and extent of the child's injuries, including any evidence of previous injuries, and any other information that the reporting person believes might be helpful in establishing the cause of the injuries and the identity of the perpetrator.