Mandatory Child Abuse Reporting

Date: March 2024

Supersedes: May 2012, February 2012

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Purpose

To ensure the safety of all minor children while participating in any educational program or activity at Montgomery County Community College (the College). 

To ensure compliance with the state statutory provision providing similar protections to minor children (23 PA CSA Sec. 6311 (d)) through a requirement of mandatory reporting by any employee of this College in the event of any and all suspected witnessed child abuse, in the course of performing one’s professional duties on behalf of the College.

Scope

All employees of the College.

Policy

It is the requirement of Montgomery County Community College that all employees of the College, employed in any capacity at the College, directly report any case of suspected, actual, or directly witnessed child abuse to your immediate supervisor. The immediate supervisor, in conjunction with the College's President (or designee) shall respond to a report of suspected child abuse consistent with the reporting requirements of the Child Abuse Protective Services Act. The College President shall inform the Board of Trustees when a mandatory report of suspected child abuse has been submitted.

The purpose of this policy is to protect abused or thought to be abused children from further abuse. It is ultimately the responsibility of supervisors, directors, managers and the senior leadership of the College, once informed of any suspected or actual child abuse, to ensure that reporting to the proper state authority has, in fact, occurred.

Notwithstanding the reporting requirements listed above, reports of the suspected or actual child abuse may be made immediately by telephone to ChildLine (800) 932-0313 by any individual.

Definitions

1. Minor: Any child under the age of 18.

2. Child Abuse

The term child abuse means any of the following: 

1. Any recent act or failure to act by a perpetrator which causes nonaccidental serious physical injury to a child.
2. An act or failure to act by a perpetrator which causes nonaccidental serious mental injury to or sexual abuse or exploitation of a child.
3. A recent act, failure to act or series of the acts or failures to act by a perpetrator which creates an imminent risk of serious physical injury to or sexual abuse or exploitation of a child.
4. Serious physical neglect by a perpetrator constituting prolonged or repeated lack of supervision or the failure to provide the essentials of life, including adequate medical care, which endangers a child’s life or development or impairs the child’s functioning.