Chapter 1: Pennsylvania Mandatory Child Abuse Recognition and Reporting (Renewal Licensure) 2 CE Hours
By: Margaret Hughes, MSN, RN, CPNP Learning objectives Upon completion of this course, the learner should be able to: Describe the Child Welfare System in Pennsylvania. Explain the differences between Child Protective Services (CPS) and General Protective Services GPS). Define various terms from the Child Protective Services Law (CPSL).
Discuss child abuse types and indicators. List the various legislative updates made to the CPSL. Apply the updated requirements and reporting procedures for reporting child abuse in Pennsylvania.
INTRODUCTION
Approximately 3.5 million children in the U.S. were the subjects of at least one child abuse report in 2017 (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services [HHS], 2019). In Pennsylvania alone, there were 46,208 reports of suspected child abuse in that same year (HHS, 2019). The Pennsylvania Child Protective Services Laws (CPSL) was enacted in 1975, and has had numerous updates over the years. The goal was to protect children from
abuse and thereby allowing the opportunity for the healthy growth and development of children and whenever possible, preserve the stability of the family. Act 33 of 2014 amended title 23 (Domestic Relations) known as the Child Protective Services Law which was effective December 31, 2014 (Pennsylvania General Assembly,2014).
OVERVIEW OF CHILD WELFARE IN PENNSYLVANIA
To help families achieve positive outcomes, child welfare systems throughout the country, including Pennsylvania, have strengthened their approaches to practice. Practice models guide the work of those involved with the child welfare system,enabling them to work together to improve outcomes for children, youth, and families. In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, child welfare is state supervised and county administered (Pennsylvania Department of Human Services Annual Child Abuse Report, 2018).
The Pennsylvania General Assembly created the Task Force on Child Protection in 2011. The objective was to conduct a thorough review of the law and it’s procedures for reporting child abuse while protecting children. As a result of this law many pieces of legislation have been enacted by the Pennsylvania General Assembly (Pennsylvania Department of Human Services Annual Child Abuse Report, 2018).
THE CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES LAW (CPSL)
This law was enacted to protect children from abuse; allow the opportunity for healthy growth and development; and,whenever possible, preserve and stabilize the family (Pennsylvania General Assembly, n.d.-a). The CPSL ensures that each county establishes a protective services program to protect children locally (Pennsylvania General Assembly, n.d.-a). Section 6302(b) of the CPSL states its purpose as follows:
Establish in each county protective services for the purpose of investigating the reports swiftly and competently,providing protection for children from further abuse and providing rehabilitative services for children and parents involved so as to ensure the child’s well-being and to preserve, stabilize and protect the integrity of family life wherever appropriate or to provide another alternative permanent family when the unity of the family cannot be maintained (Pennsylvania General Assembly, n.d.-a). it’s important to understand the distinction between the 2 services, mandated reporters do not have todetermine which service it is when contacting ChildLine (Pennsylvania Department of Human Services Annual Child Abuse Report 2018). ● Causing or substantially contributing to serious mental injury to a child through any act or failure to act or a serious of such acts or failures to act. ● Causing sexual abuse or exploitation of a child through any act or failure to act. ● Creating a reasonable likelihood of bodily injury t o a child through act recent act or failure to act. ● Creating a likelihood of sexual abuse or exploitation of a child through any recent act or failure to act. ● Causing serious neglect of a child. ● Engaging in the following recent per se acts. ● Causing the death of the child through any act or failure to act.
CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES VERSUS GENERAL PROTECTIVE SERVICES
Children, Youth and Families agencies have two essential functions: Child Protective Services (CSP) and General Protective Services (GPS).When a case is reported, trained professionals categorize the report as either a CPS case or GPS case. Although Child Protective Services (CPS) Cases that are identified as CPS require abuse investigations because the alleged act or failure to act has been identified as one of the 10 categories of child abuse per the Child Protective Services Law (CPSL) (Pennsylvania Department of Human Services Annual Child Abuse Report, 2018). Examples of CPS 10 Categories of Child Abuse: ● Causing bodily injury to a child through any recent act or failure to act. ● Fabricating, feigning or intentionally exaggerating or inducing medical symptoms or disease which results in potentially harmful medical evaluation or treatment to the child through any recent act.
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Book Code: FPA0624
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