Policy Glen Ridge Board of Education
M
8462
REPORTING POTENTIALLY MISSING OR ABUSED CHILDREN
The
Board of Education recognizes early detection of missing, abused, or neglected
children is important in protecting the health, safety, and welfare of all children. In recognition of the importance of early
detection of missing, abused, or neglected children, the Board of Education
adopts this Policy pursuant to the requirements of N.J.S.A. 18A:36-25. The Board provides this Policy for its
employees, volunteers, or interns to provide for the early detection of
missing, abused, or neglected children through notification of, reporting to,
and cooperation with the appropriate law enforcement and child welfare
authorities pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:36-25 and N.J.S.A. 9:6-8.10.
Employees, volunteers, or interns working in the school district
shall immediately notify designated child welfare authorities of incidents of
alleged missing, abused, and/or neglected children. Reports of
incidents of alleged missing, abused, or neglected children shall be reported
to the New Jersey State Central Registry (SCR) at 1-877 NJ ABUSE. If the child is in immediate danger a call
shall be placed to 911 as well as to the SCR.
The person having reason to believe that a child may be missing or
may have been abused or neglected may, prior to notifying designated child
welfare authorities, inform the Building Principal or designee if the action
will not delay immediate notification. The
person notifying designated child welfare authorities shall inform the Building
Principal or designee of the notification, if such had not occurred prior to
the notification. Notice to the
Building Principal or designee need not be given
when the person believes that such notice would likely endanger the reporter or
pupil involved or when the person believes that such disclosure would likely
result in retaliation against the pupil or in discrimination against the
reporter with respect to his or her employment.
The Building Principal or designee upon
being notified by a person having reason to believe that a child may be missing
or may have been abused or neglected, must notify appropriate law enforcement
authorities of incidents of potentially missing, abused, or neglected child
situations.
Notification to appropriate law enforcement authorities shall be made
for all reports by employees, volunteers, or interns working in the school
district. Confirmation by another person
is not required for a school district employee, volunteer, or intern to report
the suspected missing, abused, or neglected child situation.
School district officials
will cooperate with designated child welfare and law enforcement authorities in
all investigations of potentially missing, abused, or neglected children in accordance with the provisions of N.J.A.C. 6A:16-11.1(a)5.
Information
regarding allegations of child abuse and/or neglect reported to,
investigated and reported upon by DYFS about a school employee shall be
confidential and may be disclosed only as required in order to cooperate with
DYFS investigations or by court order.
These records shall be maintained in a secure place and be accessible to
the Superintendent and/or his/her designee.
The
Board will provide due process rights to school personnel who have been reassigned
or suspended in accordance with statutes.
Temporary reassignment or suspension of school personnel alleged to have
committed an act of child abuse and/or neglect shall occur if there is
reasonable cause to believe the life or health of the alleged victim or other
children is in imminent danger due to continued contact between the personnel
and the child(ren). During the investigation another adult
employee will be assigned to the accused's classroom
until resolution of the case. All records shall be removed from the school
staff's personnel file if the school district receives official notice from
DYFS that the allegation was unfounded.
An unfounded allegation shall not be used against the employee for any
purpose relating to employment.
The
district designates the Superintendent or designee as the school district’s
liaison to designated child welfare authorities to act as the primary contact
person between the school district and child welfare authorities with regard to
general information sharing, the development of mutual training and other
cooperative efforts. The district
designates the Superintendent or designee as the school district’s liaison to
law enforcement authorities to act as the primary contact person between the
school district and law enforcement authorities, pursuant to N.J.A.C.
6A:16-6.2(b)1, consistent with the memorandum of understanding, pursuant to
N.J.A.C. 6A:16-6.2(b)13.
An employee, volunteer, or intern
working in the school district who has been named as a suspect in a notification
to child welfare and law enforcement authorities regarding a missing, abused,
or neglected child situation shall be entitled to due process rights, including
those rights defined in N.J.A.C. 6A:16-11.1(a)9.
The Superintendent or designee shall provide
training to school district employees, volunteers, and/or interns on the
district’s policy and procedures for reporting allegations of missing, abused,
or neglected child situations. All new
school district employees, volunteers, and/or interns shall receive the
required information and training as part of their orientation.
There shall be no reprisal or
retaliation against any person who, in good faith, reports or causes a report
to be made of a potentially missing, abused, or neglected child situation
pursuant to N.J.S.A. 9:6-8.13.
N.J.S.A. 18A:36-24
N.J.A.C. 6A:16-11.1
Adopted:
Revised: 28 June 2004
Revised: 24 March 2008