470 IAC 3-4.7-13 Reporting child abuse or neglect

Sec. 13. (a) The center shall at all times maintain the confidentiality of all information obtained regarding the suspected abuse or neglect of a child. (b) During the first two (2) weeks of employment, all staff shall receive documented training in recognizing and reporting child abuse and neglect. The director shall update this training annually. (c) A center shall not employ or utilize the services of a person known by the division and reported to the center as a substantiated perpetrator of child abuse or neglect. (d) The center shall develop written guidelines for reporting suspected child abuse or neglect and include in staff training. (e) The director and all staff shall refrain from questioning children and suspected perpetrators beyond gathering information to report the suspected abuse or neglect to child protective services. (f) Staff shall immediately report suspected child abuse or neglect as follows: (1) If the alleged abuse or neglect occurred while the child was under the care of the child care center or the center receives a complaint from anyone regarding possible abuse or neglect of a child by a staff member, they or the director must immediately call the institutional abuse hotline or a law enforcement agency and self-report the suspected abuse or neglect. The statewide institutional abuse phone number is 1-800-562-2407. (2) If the alleged abuse or neglect occurred while the child was not under the care of the child care center, staff shall immediately report suspected abuse or neglect to the county child protective services. The statewide phone number is 1-800-800-5556. (g) Reporting suspicions to the director or other supervisory personnel does not relieve the individual staff of their responsibility to report directly to child protective services. (h) The center shall dismiss the employee or volunteer if the child protective services investigation substantiates the abuse or neglect.