The Governing Board is committed to supporting the safety and well-being of district students and desires to facilitate the prevention of and response to child abuse and neglect. The Superintendent or designee shall develop and implement strategies for preventing, recognizing, and promptly reporting known or suspected child abuse and neglect.
The Superintendent or designee may provide a student who is a victim of abuse with school-based mental health services or other support services and/or may refer the student to resources available within the community as needed.
(cf. 1020 - Youth Services)
(cf. 5141.6 - School Health Services)
(cf. 6164.2 - Guidance/Counseling Services)
Child Abuse Prevention
The district's instructional program shall include age-appropriate and culturally sensitive child abuse prevention curriculum. This curriculum shall explain students' right to live free of abuse, include instruction in the skills and techniques needed to identify unsafe situations and react appropriately and promptly, inform students of available support resources, and teach students how to obtain help and disclose incidents of abuse.
(cf. 6142.8 - Comprehensive Health Education)
(cf. 6143 - Courses of Study)
The district's program also may include age-appropriate curriculum in sexual abuse and sexual assault awareness and prevention. Upon written request of a student's parent/guardian, the student shall be excused from taking such instruction. (Education Code 51900.6)
The Superintendent or designee shall, to the extent feasible, seek to incorporate community resources into the district's child abuse prevention programs and may use these resources to provide parents/guardians with instruction in parenting skills and child abuse prevention.
Child Abuse Reporting
The Superintendent or designee shall establish procedures for the identification and reporting of known and suspected child abuse and neglect in accordance with law.
(cf. 4119.21/4219.21/4319.21 - Professional Standards)
(cf. 5145.7 - Sexual Harassment)
Procedures for reporting child abuse shall be included in the district and/or school comprehensive safety plan. (Education Code 32282)
(cf. 0450 - Comprehensive Safety Plan)
District employees who are mandated reporters, as defined by law and administrative regulation, are obligated to report all known or suspected incidents of child abuse and neglect.
The Superintendent or designee shall provide training regarding the duties of mandated reporters.
Legal Reference:
EDUCATION CODE
32280-32288 Comprehensive school safety plans
33195 Heritage schools, mandated reporters
33308.1 Guidelines on procedure for filing child abuse complaints
44252 Teacher credentialing
44691 Staff development in the detection of child abuse and neglect
44807 Duty concerning conduct of students
48906 Notification when student released to peace officer
48987 Dissemination of reporting guidelines to parents
49001 Prohibition of corporal punishment
51220.5 Parenting skills education
51900.6 Sexual abuse and sexual assault awareness and prevention
PENAL CODE
152.3 Duty to report murder, rape, or lewd or lascivious act
273a Willful cruelty or unjustifiable punishment of child; endangering life or health
288 Definition of lewd or lascivious act requiring reporting
11164-11174.3 Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act
WELFARE AND INSTITUTIONS CODE
15630-15637 Dependent adult abuse reporting
CODE OF REGULATIONS, TITLE 5
4650 Filing complaints with CDE, special education students
UNITED STATES CODE, TITLE 42
11434a McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act; definitions
COURT DECISIONS
Camreta v. Greene (2011) 131 S.Ct. 2020
Management Resources:
CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION PUBLICATIONS
Health Education Content Standards for California Public Schools, Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve
Health Framework for California Public Schools, Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve
WEB SITES
California Attorney General's Office, Suspected Child Abuse Report Form: http://www.ag.ca.gov/childabuse/pdf/ss_8572.pdf
California Department of Education, Safe Schools: http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/ss/ap
California Department of Social Services, Children and Family Services Division: http://www.childsworld.ca.gov
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Child Welfare Information Gateway: https://www.childwelfare.gov/can
Policy VALLECITO UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT
adopted: September 30, 2015 Avery, California