Massachusetts Law on Reporting Requirements
Mandated reporters are required to immediately report suspicions of child abuse and neglect to the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families…
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Home / Safe Environments / Safe Environment Strategies: Access
Complementing the physical aspects of safety are the procedural aspects of safety and security, and how access to physical space—and thus to the children and youth you serve—is granted and monitored. All adults who enter the space occupied by your children and youth should have a purpose for being in that space, and a role that is understood by all its occupants. There should be control over access points and procedures for admitting individuals into the facility, verifying their identity, signing them in and out of the space, and badging or otherwise providing an outward sign of who they are (Parent, Visitor, Contractor, etc.). Likewise, once they’re inside the facility, the identity of supervisors, staff, and volunteers should be clear to all, so anyone will know whom to approach with a concern, question, or emergency should the need arise. Finally, all staff and volunteers should know which children and youth they are responsible for, and their whereabouts at all times. All children and youth should know which adult is primarily responsible for them and to whom they should go if they need something.
It may not be possible for you to control access to physical space during off-site activities. That’s why policies and procedures need to focus on ensuring the safety of the children and youth in your care, rather than controlling the public access and security of the physical site—which may be the responsibility of the host organization or facility owner.
Reporting
Mandated reporters are required to immediately report suspicions of child abuse and neglect to the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families…
Reporting
Recognizing Abuse & Neglect The minimum required safety elements for you to prepare leadership, staff, and volunteers to recognize, respond…
Reporting
You can help protect the children you serve by maintaining an environment that prioritizes both preventing child abuse before it occurs and—since…
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