Transcript Reporting Suspected Child Maltreatment

Reporting Suspected Child
Maltreatment
F.A.Q.s
Frequently Asked Questions
What do I do if I suspect a child,
youth or vulnerable adult in my care
is being abused or neglected?
REPORT IT!
Call
1-800-482-5964
You can also send a fax report
if it's not an emergency.
~ALSO~
Let the designated staff person who is in
charge of the activity you are supervising know.
He/she will make sure all of the church Safe
Sanctuary policies are followed.
Do I have to report suspected abuse
or neglect?
If you are a mandated reporter,
YES!
If you are NOT a mandated reporter, think:
WWJD?
~ALSO~
In Arkansas, anyone CAN report abuse or
neglect.
Mandated reporters MUST report. Mandated
reporters are people who are teachers, child
care workers, doctors, dentists, nurses, law
enforcement, social workers, foster caregivers
etc.
Can someone keep me from
reporting suspected child abuse?
No!
That’s against the law!
What if I call in a report and it turns
out to be false?
As long as you make a good faith effort
to report the suspected abuse, you will
not be held liable.
What if I suspect child abuse but I
don't make a report?
You could be held liable for damages that
result from failing to report.
If I make a report, can someone find
out that I was the one who did it?
No. Your identity is confidential.
Someone could make a "lucky guess"
but your identity will not be confirmed by
the case worker.
What kind of information will the
hotline people need from me?
Name and age of child
Caregiver’s name & address
County where incident occurred or child resides
How the person calling knows the family
Whether the child has injuries
When the child was last seen and by whom
Names of others in the home
Where the child is located now\
Whether there are safety concerns in the home
(alcohol, drugs, weapons, etc.)
Who else knows or was told of the situation
Whether there has been a report made to local
police.