Mandated Reporter Training

One of the agencies we collaborate with here in Tehama County is the Child Abuse Prevention Council (CAPC). Several of our employees serve on the council and participate in many various capacities. One is to provide child abuse reporting training for the community at large.

Tehama County citizens who work with children have an opportunity to learn about child abuse reporting this month. The Tehama County Child Abuse Prevention Council is hosting mandated reporter training for free on February 26th from 6pm to 8pm at the Red Bluff Community Center. The training includes the essentials of reporting, including the definition of a mandated reporter, the history of child abuse reporting and child protection services, and how to file a report in Tehama County. The training will feature a panel of experts from law enforcement, the county counsel’s office and the Child Welfare Department to answer questions about reporting.

“There is nothing more important to our society than the protection of our children,” said Mike Lindsey, Vice Chairperson and Event Coordinator for the Child Abuse Prevention Council. “This training is essential for all persons to take, not just mandated reporters. We all play a key role in ensuring that, if a child appears to be in danger, swift action is taken to protect the child and hopefully mitigate any long term effects.”

The mandated child abuse reporting laws only date back to 1963, when the first laws were passed requiring physicians to report suspected abuse in their patients. The Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act (CANRA) was passed in 1974, identifying other classes of child service workers required to report and has been amended a number of times over the years, to now include over 40 categories of individuals mandated to report.

Those interested in the training can register online at http://tinyurl.com/p2elntk or they may call Mike Lindsey at 529-1500 extension 114 to register or for more information.