photographs or X-rays taken concerning alleged instances of child abuse in the possession of DHS or a county agency shall be confidential. Release of information in confidential reports (23 PA.C.S. § 6340) Protecting identity – Except for reports under section 6340(a)(9) and (10) of the PA CPSL and in response to a law enforcement official investigating allegations of false reports under 18 Pa.C.S. § 4906.1 (relating to false reports of child abuse), the release of data by DHS, county, institution, school, facility, or agency or designated agent of the person in charge that would identify the person who made a report of suspected child abuse or who cooperated in a subsequent investigation is prohibited. Law enforcement officials shall treat all reporting sources as confidential informants. Immunity from liability (23 PA.C.S. § 6318) General rule – A person, hospital, institution, school, facility, agency, or agency employee acting in good faith shall have immunity from civil and criminal liability that might otherwise result from any of the following:
4. Engaging in any action authorized under 23 Pa.C.S. § 6314 (relating to photographs, medical tests and X-rays of child subject to report), § 6315 (relating to taking child into protective custody), § 6316 (relating to admission to private and public hospitals), or § 6317 (relating to mandatory reporting and postmortem investigation of deaths). Departmental and county agency immunity – An official or employee of DHS or county agency who refers a report of suspected child abuse for general protective services to law enforcement authorities or provides services as authorized by the PA CPSL shall have immunity from civil and criminal liability that might otherwise result from the action. Presumption of good faith – For the purpose of any civil or criminal proceeding, the good faith of a person required to report suspected child abuse and of any person required to make a referral to law enforcement officers under the PA CPSL shall be presumed. Self-Assessment Quiz Question #9
1. Making a report of suspected child abuse or making a referral for general protective services, regardless of whether the report is required to be made under the PA CPSL. 2. Cooperating or consulting with an investigation under the PA CPSL, including providing information to a child fatality or near-fatality review team. 3. Testifying in a proceeding arising out of an instance of suspected child abuse or general protective services. A report of suspected child abuse or neglect in Pennsylvania can be made in all the following ways EXCEPT: a. Submitting an electronic report via the Child Welfare portal. b. Informing a direct supervisor or boss at work. c. Calling ChildLine at 1-800-932-0313. d. Submitting a CY47 written report after making the telephone call to ChildLine. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A REPORT OF SUSPECTED ABUSE IS MADE TO CHILDLINE
ChildLine assesses whether the report should be assigned to CPS or GPS and whether immediate action is required. It is then assigned to the appropriate county agency (Prevent Child Abuse Pennsylvania, 2017). ChildLine forwards the report of suspected child abuse to the local county children and youth agency, which investigates the report to determine if the allegations can be substantiated as child abuse/neglect and arranges for or provides the services that are needed to prevent further maltreatment of the child and to preserve the family unit as possible (Prevent Child Abuse Pennsylvania, 2017). If the alleged perpetrator named in the report does not meet the definition of a perpetrator under the CPSL but does suggest the need for investigation, ChildLine will forward the information to the district attorney’s office in the respective county (Prevent Child Abuse Pennsylvania, 2017). ChildLine also maintains a statewide registry that contains the names of and vital information about children who have been abused in Pennsylvania since 1976. This information can be accessed by county children and youth agencies when they are investigating new reports of suspected child abuse (Prevent Child Abuse Pennsylvania, 2017). If a county receives a call of suspected child abuse from a source other than ChildLine, investigators assess whether A founded report is a child abuse or neglect report that was escalated to the legal system and went to court (Pennsylvania Department of Human Services Annual Child Abuse Report, 2021). A judicial adjudication (the legal process by which a judge reviews the evidence) may or may not lead to criminal charges against the perpetrator (Pennsylvania Department of Human Services Annual Child Types of reports Founded report
there is an immediate need to protect the safety of the child and then determine the steps to be taken to protect the child (Prevent Child Abuse Pennsylvania, 2017). The safety of the child is the number one priority when assessing reports and offering services to the family (Prevent Child Abuse Pennsylvania, 2017). After taking the appropriate immediate action, the county then files a report with ChildLine (Prevent Child Abuse Pennsylvania, 2017). If the county-based children and youth agency determines that no immediate action is required, it must initiate an investigation within 24 hours and file a report with ChildLine (Prevent Child Abuse Pennsylvania, 2017). A thorough inquiry is conducted to determine if the child was abused and what services are appropriate for the child and family (Prevent Child Abuse Pennsylvania, 2017). This must be completed within 30 days unless the agency provides justification as to why the investigation cannot be completed, including attempts to obtain medical records or interview subjects of the report (Prevent Child Abuse Pennsylvania, 2017). If the report is not completed in 30 days and justification for extension is provided, the county has an additional 30 days (for a maximum of 60 days) to complete the investigation (Prevent Child Abuse Pennsylvania, 2017). Abuse Report, 2021). It also includes acceptance into an accelerated rehabilitative disposition program, a consent decree entered in a juvenile proceeding, or granting of a final protection from abuse order (Pennsylvania Department of Human Services Annual Child Abuse Report, 2021). The Child Protective Services Act defines a founded report as follows: A perpetrator-involved child abuse report that is made pursuant if any of the following applies:
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Book Code: FPA0625
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