Circles of Safety: Awareness to Action
Circles of Safety: Awareness to Action Brought to you by Stop It Now! Stop It Now! prevents the…
School Safety Manual
Formation of a child protection team
Describing the formation of the Child Protection Team and its responsibilities, and including it in the reporting protocol helps to ensure that it will become a reality:
| The [designate the administrator responsible for the formation] will oversee the formation of a Child Protection Team (henceforth called CPT) which will be responsible for reviewing suspected allegations of child maltreatment. The CPT will consist of [list the job titles] and will meet [weekly/as needed/monthly]. The CPT will be chaired by [designate chairperson] who is responsible for convening meetings. |
Although some schools believe that the CPT should only meet as needed, it is advisable to schedule more regular meetings. This not only helps the team to form a productive working relationship but keeps communication open and everyone up to date on possible school concerns. Of course, if the CPT is to have a role in the reporting process they will need to be convened quickly since once a mandated reporter’s suspicions of child abuse or neglect reach the threshold of “reasonable cause to believe” the reporting requirement is immediate. If the school’s CPT or designated agent cannot be reached, the mandated reporter must contact DCF and report the suspected abuse or neglect themselves.
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