Child Abuse and Neglect: Mandatory Reporting
Sets out how Agency staff, who are mandatory reporters as health practitioners or social service practitioners under Children's Code Art. 603, recognize and report suspected abuse or neglect of a child, whether the child is a patient or lives in or visits a patient's home: a report is made immediately (Art. 610(A)) to the Department of Children and Family Services when the suspected perpetrator is a parent, caretaker or other person listed in Art. 610(A)(1), and otherwise to local or state law enforcement, with the information Art. 610(B) lists. It also covers the ban on employer policies that delay reports, protection from retaliation, and the penalties in R.S. 14:403.
- Policy number
- LA-HH-SG-02
- Version
- 1.0
- Main rule
- Children's Code Art. 610
- Library
- Louisiana home health · 57 policies
- Category
- Safeguarding
- Sections
- 17
In short
- Every staff member is a mandatory reporter of child abuse and neglect.
- Report immediately, yourself. Telling a supervisor is not enough.
- If a parent or caretaker may be the abuser, call the DCFS hotline, 1-855-452-5437 (1-855-4LA-KIDS).
- If someone else may be the abuser, call law enforcement. Call 911 if the child is in danger.
- No Agency rule can delay your report, and you cannot be punished for making it.
What's inside
17 sections. The full text comes with the One-time Policy Pack.
- Terms of Reference
- 1. Purpose
- 2. Scope
- 3. Definitions
- 4. Policy Statement (Children's Code Art. 610)
- 5. Signs to Watch For
- 6. How and Where to Report
- 7. What the Report Contains
- 8. Documentation and Follow-Up
- 9. Penalties
- 10. Responsibilities
- 11. Records and Compliance Monitoring
- 12. Staff Training
- 13. References
- 14. Related Policies and Forms
- 15. Approval
- 16. Revision History
An inspector may ask
- A nurse visiting an elderly patient sees bruises on the patient's grandchild. What must she do, and when?
- Who do your staff call if they suspect a child is being abused by a parent? By a neighbor?
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