Policies and Procedures Handbook


Last Updated: 4/19/2005		 Garrett County Public Schools
40 South Second Street
Oakland, MD 21550
(301)334-8900

PROCEDURE FOR REPORTING CHILD ABUSE AND/OR NEGLECT

Administrative Procedure

Whenever an employee or volunteer believes or has reason to believe that a child may have been abused/neglected, he/she must follow the procedures described below.

  1. Notify the principal or assistant principal of one's suspicions.

  2. Immediately notify the Department of Social Services. This should be done in conjunction with the principal/assistant principal.

  3. Complete form PS 4 within 48 hours of the suspicion of possible abuse and/or neglect.

It is important to realize that it is not the educator's responsibility to prove neglect/abuse and that he/she should refrain from trying to do so. It is the educator's responsibility to report neglect/abuse when one has a reason to believe such is the case.

"WHERE SCHOOL PERSONNEL OR VOLUNTEERS ARE UNSURE WHETHER ABUSE OR NEGLECT HAS TAKEN PLACE, THE SITUATION SHOULD BE DISCUSSED WITH THE LOCAL DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES."

Report Distribution (PS 4)

Original   Sent to Department of Social Services by the person reporting
1st Copy   Sent to the State's Attorney by the person reporting
2nd Copy   Given to the School Principal. This copy is kept in a secured, confidential file under the principal's supervision
3rd Copy   Sent to the Director of Pupil Services who will maintain it for a period of three years at which time it automatically will be destroyed

Report Of Suspected Child Abuse/Neglect  Adobe Acrobat is required to view this chart.  Download free at http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html )
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] 		Pupil Services 474.231 AAC
Adopted 5/9/1985
Revised 7/14/88, 2/90, 7/92, 2/9/99