PFSA Praises Senate Passage of Bill Requiring Training of School Personnel on Spotting Child Abuse

HARRISBURG, Pa., Oct. 19, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Pennsylvania Family Support Alliance (PFSA) today expressed "profound thanks" on behalf of Pennsylvania's children to the state Senate for unanimously passing a bill that would require school personnel to be trained to spot and report child abuse and neglect. The measure now moves to the House of Representatives for consideration.

The Senate, on Monday, passed Senate Bill 449 by a 50-0 vote. "This is a major step forward and we want to express our profound thanks to all members of the Senate for what they have done to help protect Pennsylvania kids," PFSA Executive Director Angela Liddle said. "We realize that more steps remain. We plan on getting to work right away to encourage passage of this legislation in the House."

If the legislation does pass the House and is signed by the governor, it will direct the state Department of Public Welfare, in consultation with the state Department of Education, to set up a child abuse recognition and reporting program.

Teachers and other mandated reporters employed by or under contract to schools would be required to undergo a minimum of three hours of training every five years. In addition to teachers, school-employed social workers, guidance counselors, school nurses, and administrators would be covered.

Liddle said training is vital in the fight against child abuse. She said school personnel are considered "mandated reporters"—they have a legal duty to report suspicions of abuse or neglect—and they have more consistent, ongoing contact with a majority of Pennsylvania's children than any other group. But though school employees have a legal duty to report abuse or neglect they have never been required to receive training.

Liddle said, "If we're putting this responsibility on school personnel, they should be properly trained about what constitutes abuse, what the signs of abuse are, and what steps and procedures should be followed to report it. They need to have a thorough understanding of their responsibilities and have the knowledge and confidence to fulfill those responsibilities."

Liddle estimated that only 15 percent of school districts in Pennsylvania have had such training on a voluntary basis.

The proposed law would apply to public school districts, intermediate units, vocational-technical schools, charter schools, and private schools.

Pennsylvania officials received more than 24,600 reports of suspected child and student abuse in 2010. According to the state Department of Public Welfare, mandated reporters, the majority of whom are school employees, account for 77 percent of all substantiated reports of abuse in Pennsylvania.

PFSA, a nonprofit organization, provides training on recognizing and reporting child abuse and neglect through schools, early childhood education centers, religious institutions, and social service agencies. It trained 8,100 mandated reporters during its most recent program year.

For more information, visit the PFSA Web site at www.pa-fsa.org.

Pennsylvania Family Support Alliance
Protecting children from abuse
Training for professionals
Support for families
Education for communities

Visit the PFSA website at www.pa-fsa.org

SOURCE PA Family Support Alliance