Reporting Suspected Child Abuse or Neglect

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Policy

It is the policy of PIC for employees to comply with the reporting requirements of Alaska Statutes AS47.17, which require the reporting of known and suspected instances of child physical abuse, neglect, or sexual abuse.  Employees of PIC are mandatory reporters to the Office of Children’s Services.

Practice

  1. A PIC employee who, in the performance of her or his professional duties, has reasonable cause to suspect that a child has suffered harm as a result of abuse or neglect must report the information within 24-hours to the Department of Health and Social Services, Office of Children’s Services (OCS). The reporting employee shall also be responsible for providing written documentation of the report to OCS by noting the report in the child’s file. 
  1. If a child is in imminent danger and the employee is unable to contact OCS immediately, they must contact a local law enforcement agency.  
  1. As mandatory reporters, employees that fail to report suspected abuse or neglect are guilty of a class A misdemeanor.
  1. In addition, employees must contact their supervisor or next available member of the management team and file a PIC Incident Report within 24 hours or within the next business day of the OCS report. 
  1. The role of management staff is to provide support to employees during what may be a difficult referral.  This support is provided by; listening carefully to employee concerns, documenting specific facts, providing emotional support and assisting with follow up collaboration with other agencies, if appropriate.
  2. Employees are encouraged to also report cases that come to their attention in their nonprofessional capacities.  
  1. Examples of child abuse or neglect:
    1. Physical injury that harms or threatens a child’s health and welfare.
    2. Failure to care for a child, including the neglect of the necessary physical (food, shelter, clothing, and medical attention), emotional, mental and social needs.
    3. Sexual abuse, including molestation or incest.
    4. Sexual exploitation, including permit-ting or encouraging prostitution or child pornography.
    5. Child at risk of sexual abuse due to inadequate supervision.
    6. Mental injury – an injury to the emotional wellbeing, or intellectual, or psychological capacity of a child’s ability to function in a developmentally appropriate manner.
    7. Maltreatment – a child has suffered substantial harm as a result of abuse or neglect due to an act or omission not necessarily committed by the child’s parent, custodian, or guardian.
    8. Domestic violence – when a child is present in the home and in danger of mental injury. 
    9. Substance Abuse – where the active caregiver is impaired and there is reasonable cause to suspect that a child has suffered harm.