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Child Protection
When to Report
Minnesota Statute 260E.06 requires mandated reporters to make a report if they know of, or have reason to believe a child is being neglected or abused, or has been neglected or abused within the preceding three years. Verbal reports must be made immediately (no longer than 24 hours). A verbal report by a mandated reporter must be followed within 72 hours, excluding holidays and weekends, by a written report of alleged maltreatment.
| Verbal Report | Written Report |
|---|---|
| If a child is in immediate danger, or to request an immediate welfare check, call 9-1-1 or your local police department. To verbally report suspected abuse or neglect of a child, call 651-430-6457. | Please fill out and submit the following form: Referral of Suspected Child Abuse or Neglect. Submissions lacking identifying information may result in a report not being accepted. |
Child protection intake screeners, in partnership with the screening team, review and accept reports of alleged child maltreatment based on DHS Minnesota Child Maltreatment Intake, Screening, and Response Path Guidelines.
Minnesota Mandated Reporting
Under Minnesota Statute 260E.06, persons in designated professional occupations are mandated to report suspected child abuse or neglect.
Persons who work with children and families are in a position to help protect children from harm. These persons are required by law to report to child protection if they know or have a reason to believe that a child is being abused or neglected or that a child has been neglected or abused within the prior three years.
The individual with direct knowledge of possible child abuse or neglect is individually responsible to report to the police or child protection. Reporting the concern to a supervisor, administrator, or other coworkers does not mitigate your responsibility to report.
The reporter's name is confidential, accessible only if the reporter consents or by a court order. You can find more information about mandated reporting in the Resource Guide for Mandated Reporters.
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Training
Reporting Child Maltreatment (Abuse & Neglect) Training for Mandated Reporters
This free training is designed for mandated reporters or others to learn more about requirements for reporting child abuse and neglect in Washington County.
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A video training series is also available through the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS). This does not take the place of an in-person training.
*Access the packet forms before the training.
| Date | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday June 24 | 3-4:30 p.m. | Online |
| Wednesday September 15 | 6-7:30 p.m. | Online |
| Thursday December 16 | 9-10:30 a.m. | Online |
*Agencies within Washington County with large groups needing this training can contact Kelsey to request additional training sessions.
All training is provided by Washington County Child Protection staff and will be held virtually because of COVID-19. Contact Kelsey Whitcomb with questions at 651-430-6529 or via email.
Registration:
You must register via email in order to attend the online training so we can email you the meeting link.
Failure to Report
If a mandated reporter does not report suspected abuse or neglect, they could be prosecuted for committing a misdemeanor. If a child suffers substantial or great bodily harm as a result of not receiving needed treatment for the abuse or neglect because of a failure to report, it is a gross misdemeanor. If the child dies as a result, it is a felony.
Abuse
| Terms related to abuse as defined by Washington County: | |
|---|---|
| Failure to Thrive A physician’s diagnosis of failure to thrive due to parental deprivation Mental Injury
An intentional (non-accidental) act resulting in a visible injury or no observable injury but the child reports pain in the head, stomach, torso, or genitalia as a result of being hit in that area or an act of reasonable discipline which results in injury except for an injury resulting from reasonable force to restrain (ref. MS609.379) | Sexual Abuse
A statement, overt act, condition, or status that represents a substantial risk of physical abuse or mental injury Threatened Sexual Abuse A statement, overt act, condition, or status that presents a substantial risk of sexual abuse |
Neglect
| Terms related to neglect as defined by Washington County: | |
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Failure to Protect
Failure to Provide for Failure to Provide Education Failure to provide medical care refers to a continuing or consistent refusal or failure to seek, obtain, and follow through with a diagnosis and treatment of medical, dental, or mental health care for a health problem, symptom, or condition which, if untreated, could place the child in immediate or future jeopardy, incapacitation, or death. Illegal Placement A child 15 years old or younger living in a nonrelative, unlicensed home for more than 30 days in a 12-month period | Inadequate Clothing or Hygiene
Child routinely lacks sufficient quantity or quality of food or child suffers from medically-diagnosed malnutrition or developmental lags Inadequate Shelter The periodic or continuing failure to provide adequate shelter and protection from weather and from environmental hazards in the dwelling and on this property which have potential for injury, illness, and/or disease. Lack of Supervision Failure to provide supervision, care, guidance, and/or protection, which results in the child being in situations beyond his ability to cope, at risk of physical harm, at risk of sexual and/or other exploitation Prenatal Exposure to Controlled Substances This includes withdrawal symptoms in the child at birth, a positive toxicology test performed on the mother or child during prenatal checks or at delivery, or mother admits to using chemicals. |
Definition of Family Assessments
As defined by Minnesota State Statute, a family assessment is a comprehensive assessment of child safety, risk of subsequent child maltreatment, and family strength and needs that is applied to a child maltreatment report that does not allege substantial child endangerment. Family assessment does not include a determination as to whether child maltreatment occurred, but does determine the need for services.| The goals of family assessment are: | |
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Family Assessments are Different from Investigations
Unlike investigations, there is no determination made regarding whether or not an incident of maltreatment occurred. The goal of a family assessment is to use a holistic approach, focusing on the safety of the children and the families' strengths. Concerns and needs are addressed rather than focusing on the details of a specific incident to prove or disprove that abuse or neglect occurred.Providing Services
Child protection services are often provided on a voluntary basis. There are cases where the need for child protection services is critical and court action can be sought to require the family to accept child protection services and to ensure that the family follows through with the necessary social service plan.Take Time Out
There are lots of things you can do to prevent taking your frustrations out on your child. When the big and little problems of everyday life pile up to the point where you feel like lashing out, it is possible to stop and take time out. It is possible to get a hold of yourself before you get a hold of your child.When you do stop, take time out, and do something immediately that will help you cool down and collect yourself. The next time everyday pressures build up to the point where you feel like lashing out stop and try any of these simple alternatives. See what works for you. You'll feel better and so will your child.
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