Keeping children safe is the number one priority of every employee at Launch. As such, pursuant to Article 6, Title 6, Section 413 of the New York Social Services Law, school personnel are mandated reporters of suspected child abuse. All school personnel must follow the guidance of the NYS Office of Children and Family Services, included below: Mandated reporters are required to report suspected child abuse or maltreatment when they are presented with a reasonable cause to suspect child abuse or maltreatment in a situation where a child, parent, or other person legally responsible for the child is before the mandated reporter when the mandated reporter is acting in his or her official or professional capacity. “Other person legally responsible” refers to a guardian, caretaker, or other person 18 years of age or older who is responsible for the care of the child.
As soon as you suspect abuse or maltreatment, you must report your concerns by telephone to the New York Statewide Central Register of Child Abuse and Maltreatment (SCR). The SCR is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to receive your call. The timeliness of your call is vital to the timeliness of intervention by the local department of social services’ Child Protective Services (CPS) unit. You are not required to notify the parents or other persons legally responsible either before or after your call to the SCR. In fact, in some cases, alerting the parent may hinder the local CPS investigation and adversely affect its ability to assess the safety of the children.
The telephone numbers to report abuse or maltreatment are: Mandated Reporter (800) 635-1522
All school personnel are required to familiarize themselves with the Summary Guidance for Mandated Reporters in New York State. Employees may see the Director of Operations with any questions about obtaining resources or training for mandated reporters.