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April is child abuse prevention month

Sources over the years have shown the key to preventing child abuse is the knowledge of how to identify it and knowledge on how to seek assistance for those it effects.
Who should report abuse?
All community members can report suspected child abuse or neglect to the local child protection or law enforcement agency. Within Chisago County call (651) 213-0324. For those people who work with children or families there is a legal requirement to report suspected abuse or neglect. The term for these persons is mandated reporter. Mandated reporters include professionals in the following fields: health care, social services, mental health, childcare, education, law enforcement, clergy (under certain circumstances) and corrections management and staff. If a professional in one of the above listed fields suspects a child is being abused or neglected they must report their suspicion, the task cannot be delegated to someone else.
Anyone who reports suspected abuse or neglect in good faith are immune from civil liability; however, if you fail to report you could be guilty of a misdemeanor. The name of a reporter to child protection is confidential and can only be released if the reporter consents or the court orders it released.
What information is requested?
As a reporter you will be asked some questions about the family. The questions are: your name, phone number and your relationship to the child, where the child currently is and if they are in immediate danger, a description of the event being reported and any injuries, and the names and addresses of key players in the report.
What should be reported?
Types of things to be reported include: neglect, which is the failure by parents or care givers to provide a child with necessary food, shelter, clothing or medical care; physical abuse, which is any physical injury, mental injury, or threatened injury inflicted by a person responsible for the childís care by other than accidental means; threatened injury, which is any threat or statement that represents risk of physical or sexual abuse or mental injury;
Sexual abuse, which is the subjection of a child to sexual contact by a person responsible for the childís care, a person with a significant relationship to the child or a person in a position of authority over the child.
How can I get more detailed information on Mandated Reporting?
If you or your agency would like training on mandated reporting please call Brad Foss at Chisago County Health and Human Services, (651) 213-0345. The inconvenience of reporting is offset by one simple fact: the action you take may very well save the life and the spirit of a child and provide a family with much needed support.
-Submitted by Brad Foss
Chisago County Health and Human Services

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