Overview

By law, all staff who work with or come in contact with children are mandated reporters. Knowing the basic signs of child abuse, maltreatment, and neglect and how to effectively respond is vital knowledge for all Head Start, Early Head Start, and child care staff. This course covers general information about the legal responsibilities of mandated reporters and how to recognize and respond to possible abuse or maltreatment. Learners will finish this course knowing who a mandated reporter is, what a mandated reporter’s responsibilities are, and their own responsibilities as mandated reporters.

Course Level: Available on-demand

Course Level: Beginner

Requirements/Prerequisites: None

Target Audience: Instruction and Effective Practice, Leadership and Management, Program Operations, Support Services

Course Meeting Times: None

Completion Timeline/Duration: One Month

Alignment with the Head Start Program Performance Standards: This course supports programs in meeting 1302.47: Safety Practices of the Head Start Performance Standards in which “a program must establish, train staff on, implement, and enforce a system of health and safety practices that ensure children are kept safe at all times.

Course Outline

Module Topics: Child Abuse, Maltreatment, Mandated Reporting

Learning Objectives: 

Learners will understand their responsibilities as mandated reporters and know the process for when and how to make such reports.

Learners will understand the definitions of child abuse, maltreatment, and mandated reporting. 

Learners will know how to recognize the signs of potential abuse or maltreatment in the children they serve. 

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Course Author

Dr. Deborah Bergeron

Dr. B served as director of the Office of Head Start from 2018-21. From 2019-21 she broadened her leadership as director of the Office of Early Childhood Development in the Administration for Children and Families. Known as “Dr. B” to former students and teachers, she spent three decades in pre-K–12 public education as a classroom teacher and school administrator. She currently serves as deputy director for Community Engagement and Innovation at the National Head Start Association.