One of the most difficult decisions I made as a young woman was to call in a report of suspected child abuse to the Connecticut Department of Family and Child Services.
I was a 26-year-old mother with a two-year-old child, and had just become a licensed home day care provider. That summer I took care of a seven-year-old boy and his five-year-old sister. Their mother worked and their father was home on disability.
Before long, the kids started telling me family stories. I grew concerned when they mentioned that when they misbehaved their father made them stand in a closet. I got worried when they said he threw his boots at them. “I know he loves his kids,” I thought, “and they sure don’t look abused.”
One day the sister came in with a mark on her arm that the brother said was a cigarette burn. “My parents had some people over and it was an accident,” he told me. Though I wasn’t certain any true abuse had occurred, I realized I had to tell someone. After all, I reasoned, what if something worse occurs because I didn’t act to prevent it?
I was reminded of the anguish I felt reporting this family when I learned that, as a volunteer at my youngest daughter’s high school, I am once again considered a “mandated reporter.” I didn’t really understand what this term meant back then, but I do now.
A mandated reporter in Georgia is someone who is legally obligated to report to the Georgia Department of Family and Child Services (DFCS) suspected child abuse they encounter while performing their duties. A recent amendment to the law broadens this definition to include volunteers at churches, colleges, clubs, summer camps and sports organizations. Failing to comply can mean a fine or even jail.
Volunteers in Fulton County now must sign a detailed “Volunteer Safety Information Form.” They must attend an information session or watch a video that explains signs of abuse and neglect, and helps mandated reporters better understand the expectations. And, volunteers are legally shielded from liability.
“In Georgia, the state grants immunity for any civil or criminal liability for the making of a child abuse report based upon the requirement that the report is made in good faith,” said Dr. Chris Matthews, Executive Director of Fulton County Schools Department of Social Work.
Volunteers and others affected by this legislation should go to their county school website for information regarding mandated reporting and legally required training. I also suggest that volunteers check their liability insurance coverage, though, just in case.
Veronica Buckman has been a resident of Milton for nine years. Reach her at vrbuck01@aol.com.
