New Child Abuse Reporting Rules

New Child Abuse Reporting Rules went into effect July 1, 2012
House Bill 1176 amended O.C.G.A. 19-7-5 Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse. O.C.G.A. 19-7-5 is designed for the protection of children whose health and welfare are adversely affected and further threatened by the conduct of those responsible for their care and protection. O.C.G.A 19-7-5 has been amended as follows:
· ‘Child service 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.
· If a person is required to report child abuse pursuant to this subsection because that person attended to a child pursuant to such person’s duties as an employee of or volunteer at a hospital, school, social agency, or similar facility, that person shall notify the person in charge of the facility, or the designated delegate thereof, and the person so notified shall report or cause a report to be made…
· “From an ethical and moral standpoint, volunteers who work with children already have an obligation to report suspected child abuse. (Georgia) House Bill 1176 simply makes this obligation a requirement by law.” (Source: Sam Olens, Attorney General)
Video for Mandatory Reporting Training – http://schoolwires.henry.k12.ga.us/Page/37783