402.02 - Child Abuse Reporting

In compliance with state law and to provide protection to victims of child abuse, the board believes incidents of alleged child abuse should be reported to the proper authorities.  All licensed school employees, teachers, coaches and paraeducators and all school employees 18 years of age or older are mandatory reporters as provided by law and are to report alleged incidents of child abuse they become aware of within the scope of their professional duties.

When a mandatory reporter suspects a student is the victim of child abuse, the mandatory reporter shall make an oral report of the suspected child abuse to the Iowa Department of Human Services within 24 hours of becoming aware of the abusive incident and shall make a written report to the Iowa Department of Human Services within 48 hours following the oral report.  If the mandatory reporter believes the child is in immediate danger, the local law enforcement agency will also be notified.  It is not the responsibility of employees to prove that a child has been abused or neglected.  Employees should not take it upon themselves to investigate the case or contact the family of the child.  DHS is responsible for investigating the incident of alleged abuse.

Within three months of their initial employment, mandatory reporters will take a two-hour training course involving the identification and reporting of child abuse and dependent adult abuse, or submit evidence they’ve taken the course within the previous three years.  Once the training course has been taken, the certificate will remain valid for three years.  Employees who have taken the two-hour training course will take the one-hour follow up training course every three years and prior to the expiration of their certificate.

 

Legal Reference:          Iowa Code §§ 232.67-.77; 232A, 235A; 280.17.

                                    441 I.A.C. 9.2; 155; 175.

                                   

Cross Reference:          402.03 Abuse of Students by School District Employees

                                    502.11 Interviews of Students by Outside Agencies

                                    507      Student Health and Well-Being

 

Approved:  11/01/2004

Reviewed:  10/15/2007

Revised:  09/19/2011, 08/17/2015, 03/21/2016, 08/15/2016, 05/20/2019, 09/21/2020, 04/11/2022, 08/15/2022,                                                                              10/16/2023