Grounding Training Programs in Informing Frameworks
The approaches in the chart below can provide frameworks that make your organization most effective when training adults and/or children/youth….
Home / Reporting / How to Report Child Sexual Abuse
When a member of your staff suspects that a child is being abused and/or neglected, they are required to immediately call your local Department of Children and Families (DCF) Area Office and ask for the Screening Unit. You can find a directory of the DCF Area Offices and a copy of the 51A report form on the Department of Children and Families (DCF) website. These offices are staffed between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays. To make a report at any other time, including after 5 p.m. and on weekends and holidays, call the Child-At-Risk Hotline at 800-792-5200. Reporters are also required by law to mail or fax a written report to DCF (51A report form) within 48 hours after making the verbal report.
The DCF Protective Intake Policy is divided into two phases: (1) the screening of all reports; and (2) a response to any report that is screened in. All screened-in reports are now investigated. In our chart, What Happens When DCF Receives a 51A Report?, you’ll find a detailed description of what happens when a report is made to DCF, and a description of the investigative process, and its timelines and steps.
When the call is made, and the 51A form is filled out, the reporter should be prepared to provide the following information, if known:
If you do not have all this information, do not let this keep you from filing. File with what information you do have and let the professionals make their determinations.
Training
The approaches in the chart below can provide frameworks that make your organization most effective when training adults and/or children/youth….
Training
Ideally, all children/youth should receive training and education on issues of personal safety and abuse prevention. However, not every organization…
Reporting
Physical and Behavioral Indicators of Abuse Type of AbusePhysical IndicatorsBehavioral IndicatorsPhysical Abuse● Unexplained bruises (in…
Policies & Procedures
Sample Policies & Procedures You can find examples of policies and procedures from organizations whose mission is to serve and protect…
Reporting
With some exceptions, a single incident or observation of suspected abuse or neglect may not necessarily trigger the need for a call to the…
Screening & Hiring
Your Youth-Serving Organization’s (YSO’s) hiring process should include basic screening measures for potential staff and volunteers through…
Code of Conduct
For your Youth-Serving Organization (YSO) to ensure the safety of the children it serves, there must be a set of principles to guide the environment…
Screening & Hiring
Certain organizations, such as public schools and licensed childcare programs, must also query national criminal record and fingerprint-based…
Code of Conduct
Your Code of Conduct will be unique to your organization, based on your size, purpose, location, staffing, ages served, additional vulnerabilities…
Training
Training Best Practices To protect the children/youth you serve, your organization needs a comprehensive framework: a set of abuse prevention…
Customized child sexual abuse prevention guidelines to meet the unique needs of any organization that serves children.
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