Communication and Management
of Behavioral Boundaries
Office for the Protection of
Children & Youth
Scenario # 1
A second grade student arrives at school with a black eye and bruises on both
arms. The teacher asks the student what happened and he replies that his
father hit him.
The teacher places a call to DCFS and is told a case worker will be at the
school today. Do not release the child from school.
It is dismissal time and no one has arrived from DCFS.
NOTE: The child’s father has met all the compliance requirements and
coaches the eighth grade boys’ basketball team.
• WHAT STEPS SHOULD THE PRINCIPAL TAKE?
Scenario #1
• Do not release. Call police.
• Document phone call with DCFS, including:
 Time call made to DCFS
 Name of the DCFS Hotline Intake Worker
 DCFS response – did DCFS take as report or not
• Documentation is placed in child’s file
• Call Regional Director
Note: If the case is indicated, the father can no longer serve as
a volunteer. Principal or Regional Director notifies Safe
Environment Office.
Scenario #2
My daughter, Anna, will not be in school today. On the way
home from school yesterday, Anna (13 years old) told me that
she had sex with an eighth grade boy (15 years old) in a room
at school during the after school program. My daughter said
she was a willing participant but she was so distraught that
overnight I admitted her into Hargrove Hospital.
• OUTLINE THE STEPS THE PRINCIPAL WILL TAKE IN THIS
SITUATION.
Scenario #2
• Call DCFS
• Inform parents they can make a report to
the police
• Offer support to all parties involved
 Contact Assistance Ministry for referrals
• Document DCFS call and action taken
• Place documentation in appropriate student
files
• Contact Regional Director
Scenario #3
I am calling to share something with you that occurred
over the weekend. Some of the eighth grade boys were in a
chat room on Saturday. My son was not in the chat room
but they gave my son’s name and phone number to others
in the chat room. On Sunday, my son received an
inappropriate picture on his phone from an adult male who
was in the chat room.
• THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO
ABOUT THIS?
Scenario #3
• Call DCFS
• Advise parents they can make a report to the
police
• Offer support to all parties involved
 Contact Assistance Ministry for referrals
• Refer to school policy. Are there consequences
for the parties providing the name and phone
number?
• Contact Regional Director
Who do you call?
Regional Director
OPCY
Peer-on-Peer/Bullying
Hazing
DCFS takes report
 Lack of supervision
 Teacher allegation of
physical abuse
Sexual abuse by member of
the clergy, an employee or
volunteer
Department of Children & Family
Services (DCFS)
• Child presenting with bruises, welts,
broken bones or repeated injuries/injuries at
varying stages of healing.
• Child tells teacher he/she has been abused.
• Child in school tells teacher his/her friend
has been abused.
• Child is consistently late, hungry, generally
unkempt.
Who do you call?
Parents
Peer-onPeer/Bullying
Teacher allegation
of abusing child
Inappropriate use
of technology
Police
Inappropriate use
of technology
DCFS does not
respond in a timely
fashion
Physical injury
Office for the Protection of Children
& Youth Team
• Jan Slattery, Director – OPCY, 312-534-5319
• Leah McCluskey – Director, Child Abuse
Investigations & Review, 312-534-5205
• Thomas Tharayil – Director, Assistance
Ministry, 312-534-8267
• Mayra Flores – Coordinator, Safe Environment
Office, 312-534-5238