Carol Neal Rossi, former Director of PCA Georgia
Issues Consulting, LLC
1-800-CHILDREN helpline
What we’ll cover today:
• Mandated Reporters
• DFCS call center 1-855-GA-CHILD
• 1-800-CHILDREN helpline
• PCA Georgia’s Prevention Network, Councils
• Working Together for Prevention
Impact of Child Maltreatment
Juvenile
Crime
Sexual
Violence
Foster Care
Domestic
Violence
Gang
Violence
Child
Protection
U.S. Child Abuse
and Neglect
School
Drop Out
Court
Alcohol and
Drug Use
Mental
Health
3 million reports
Long-Term Health
Issues
Emergency Room
Loss of
Wages
Teen
Pregnancy
$104 Billion Annually
Source: PCA America cost study
What is Child Abuse?
• Georgia law defines “child abuse” as:
• Physical injury or death inflicted upon a child by a parent or caretaker by
other than accidental means
• Physical forms of discipline (corporal punishment) may be used as long as
there is no physical injury to the child;
• Neglect or exploitation of a child by a parent or caretaker;
• Sexual abuse of a child;
• Does not include consensual sex acts between minors or between a minor
and an adult who is not more than 5 years older than the minor
• Sexual exploitation of a child
Disclosure
• Mandated reporters are NOT investigators
• When a Child Discloses Maltreatment:
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Respect the child’s need for confidentiality / Find a private place to talk;
Provide reassurance and avoid value judgments
Listen openly, calmly, with minimal interruptions
Write down the facts and words as reported to you, in the child’s own words
Do not try to get all of the details
Minimize the number of questions you ask
Avoid the use of leading questions
Report the disclosure
Mandated Reporters
• Georgia law generally requires those who work with families or who come in contact with
children to report suspected child maltreatment
• Designated professionals:
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Physicians, interns or residents;
Hospital or medical personnel;
Dentists;
Licensed psychologists and interns;
Podiatrists;
RPNs and LPNs;
Professional counselors, social workers, or marriage and family therapists;
School teachers, administrators, guidance counselors, visiting teachers, social workers, or psychologists;
Child welfare agency personnel;
Child-counseling personnel;
Child service organization personnel;
Law enforcement personnel:
Reproductive health care facility or pregnancy resource center personnel and volunteers
Mandated Reporters, updated
• Expanded list (eff. July 1, 2012):
• “Child service organization personnel means: persons employed by or volunteering
at a business or an organization, whether public, private, for profit, not for profit, or
voluntary, that provides care, treatment, education, training, supervision, coaching,
counseling, recreational programs, or shelter to children
• “Clergy” means: ministers, priests, rabbis, imams, or similar functionaries, by
whatever name called, of a bona fide religious organization
• Confession exception: a member of the clergy shall not be required to report child abuse
reported solely within the context of confession or other similar communication required to
be kept confidential under church doctrine or practice. When a clergy member receives
information about child abuse from any other source, the clergy member shall comply with
the reporting requirements of this Code section, even though the clergy member may have
also received a report of child abuse from the confession of the perpetrator”
How to Report – 1-855-GA-CHILD
• A report must be made within 24 hours by phone or via email to the
centralized DFCS office
• 1-855-GA CHILD (422-4453)
• cpsintake@dhr.state.ga.us (must fill out mandated reporter form and
submit via email)
• If unable to reach DFCS, or if the child is in immediate danger, report
to local law enforcement (911) or district attorney in the county
where the child lives
• Comply with any internal workplace protocols
What to Report (fill out form)
• Reasonable cause to believe a child has been abused
• Suspicions, not necessarily direct evidence
• Make the report even if you do not have all the information
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Name, age, address and current location of child
Name and address of child’s parents or caretakers, if known
Name and address of suspected perpetrator
Location where maltreatment took place, if known
The nature and extent of the child’s injuries
Any other information the reporter believes might be helpful in establishing
the cause of the injuries and the identity of the perpetrator
Rights of Mandated Reporters
• Anonymity or confidentiality
• Knowledge of the outcome only of a report
• Immunity for “good faith” report
• Penalty for NOT reporting:
• Any person or official required by Georgia law to report suspected cases of child
maltreatment and who knowingly and willfully fails to do so shall be guilty of a
misdemeanor
From Referral to Removal
How it Works
Child Abuse in the Community
Not Reported to DFCS
Reported to DFCS
Investigated
Substantiated
Removed to FC
Family Support
Unsubstantiated
Not Removed to FC
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What to do if family needs help?
1-800-CHILDREN, helpline from PCA Georgia
The helpline supports families and parents and connects them with
appropriate resources in their community. It offers information about
child abuse, family violence, counseling and support groups.
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Toll-free
Open Monday to Friday, 8am-6pm
Staffed by professionals
Bilingual (Spanish/English)
Source of information and support
A safe place to discuss options
Helpline is NOT:
• A crisis line
• A function of DFCS
• Where you report suspected cases of child abuse or neglect
• Those calls should go to 911 or to 1-855-GA-CHILD
The Helpline Serves:
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Parents
Grandparents
Foster Parents
Survivors of Abuse
Youth
Friends or Relatives
Crime Victims
Faith Communities
Professionals
Individuals from all socio-economic levels living in urban, suburban and
rural communities in Georgia
Why People Call:
• Parenting support
• Counseling and support groups
• Referrals for legal needs
• Grandparent issues
• Child abuse and prevention information
• Concern about well-being of a child or family member
• Family violence concerns
• Community resources for emergency assistance
• Resources for special needs children
PCA Georgia’s Mission
To prevent the abuse and neglect of Georgia’s children.
(Includes all forms of abuse and neglect, whether physical, sexual,
educational or emotional.)
Our Core Values:
Valuing Children
Strengthening Families
Engaging Communities
Every 30 minutes, a child is abused
or neglected in Georgia.
83 children lost their lives to
maltreatment in 2012.
PCA Georgia Guiding Factors:
Focus on primary and secondary prevention
strategies. Guide, support and educate professionals
who work with children and families throughout
Georgia, rather than providing direct services.
PCA Georgia provides statewide direction
through:
• Prevention Network
• Public Awareness
• Prevention Programs
• Research
• Advocacy
• 1-800-CHILDREN helpline
• Prevention Network
Building a statewide
network of individuals,
families, agencies and
communities dedicated
to preventing child
abuse and neglect in all
its forms.
PCA Georgia Councils 2014
• PCA Athens
• PCA Pickens
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• PCA Pike (Strengthening Families Alliance of
Pike County)
• PCA Rockdale
• PCA Spalding (Spalding County Collaborative
Authority for Families and Children)
• PCA Whitfield (Family Support Council, Inc.)
PCA Augusta
PCA Bartow (Advocates for Children)
PCA Coweta
PCA Gordon
PCA Grady
PCA Habersham
PCA Henry
PCA Houston (Rainbow House
Children’s Resource Center)
• Southwest Georgia Children’s Alliance – Ben
Hill, Crisp, Dooly, Lee, Macon, Randolph, Schley, Stewart,
Sumter, Terrell, Wilcox and Webster. (SOWEGA CASA,
LightHouse Children’s Advocacy Center, Southwestern
Judicial Circuit Truancy Intervention, Sumter FCP.)
• Public Awareness
Increasing public awareness about child abuse and
neglect prevention through training and education,
information dissemination, and statewide events.
• Prevention Programs
Encouraging the development and implementation of
innovative prevention programs using evidencebased models.
• Research
Disseminating academic and community-based
research to guide the development of policies,
programs and services which will enhance the
health and well-being of Georgia’s children and
their families.
• Advocacy Activities
Informing public policy, programs, and practices that
strengthen families and protect children by regularly
imparting information regarding child abuse
prevention research, initiatives, and best practices.
Source: The Prevention Institute, www.preventioninstitute.org
What can we do to help?
• Help Strengthen Families in your Community
• Increasing Protective Factors Decreases Risk Factors
Parental/Family Risk Factors
• Parental/Caregiver
Immaturity
• Unrealistic Expectations
• Social Isolation
• Unmet Emotional Needs
• Frequent Crisis
• Poor Childhood Experiences
• Drugs/Alcohol Problems
• Mental Illness
• Poor Family Boundaries
• Dangerous Home
Environment
What are the Protective Factors?
1. Parental Resilience
2. Social Connections
3. Knowledge of Child Development
4. Concrete Support in Times of Need
5. Social and Emotional Competence of Children
Seven Program Strategies
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Facilitate Friendships and Mutual Support
Strengthen Parenting
Respond to Family Crisis
Link Families to Services and Opportunities
Value and Support Parents
Facilitate Children’s Social and Emotional Development
Observe and Respond to Early Warning Signs of Abuse and
Neglect
What more can you do?
• Advocate for programs and policies that protect children and support
families. Join Voices for Georgia’s Children to learn more.
• www.georgiavoices.org
• Be part of the Prevention Network by participating in PCA Georgia
activities.
• www.preventchildabusega.org – Subscribe to the monthly newsletter, learn
about activities, regional meetings, webinars and other events.
• Attend the PCA Georgia Statewide Conference on Sept. 11, 2014 at Atlanta
Marriott, Century Center.
• Provide us with information regarding agencies, programs and resources in
your community that should be included in the 1-800-CHILDREN helpline data
base.
Source: The Prevention Institute, www.preventioninstitute.org
Other Resources
• Prevent Child Abuse Georgia
www.preventchildabusega.org
(Link to GOCF Mandated Reporter Training)
• Strengthening Families Protective Factors:
http://www.cssp.org/reform/strengtheningfamilies/the-basics/protective-factors
• Child Welfare Gateway: www.childwelfare.gov
• Prevent Child Abuse America
http://www.preventchildabuse.org
The PCA Georgia 1-800-CHILDREN helpline is supported by a grant from the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation. The
Foundation seeks innovative solutions that enable young people, families, and communities to achieve results beyond what
seems possible today. Formed in 1995, the Foundation invests in early childhood development, education, greenspace, and
the arts, and leads giving programs for each of the Blank Family of Businesses, including the Atlanta Falcons.
www.blankfoundation.org
PCA Georgia is supported in part by the Governor’s Office for Children and Families through the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Community Based Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment
Act (CFDA 93.590). Points of view or opinions stated in this document are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily
represent the official position or policies of the Governor’s Office for Children and Families or the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Community Based Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment
Act (CFDA 93.590).
Prevent Child Abuse Georgia
34 Peachtree Street, Suite 1700
Atlanta, GA 30303
Julia Neighbors, Director
jneighbors@gsu.edu
www.preventchildabusega.org
cnealrossi@gmail.com
(404) 413-1419
(770) 318-0116