Pennsylvania Code › Title 55 - HUMAN SERVICES › Part V - Children, Youth and Families Manual › Subpart E - Residential Agencies, Facilities and Services › Article I - Licensing/Approval › Chapter 3680 - ADMINISTRATION AND OPERATION OF A CHILDREN AND YOUTH SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCY › AGENCY ADMINISTRATIVE POLICIES, PROCEDURES AND RESPONSIBILITIES › Section 3680.21 - Reports of unusual incidents and child abuse

Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 28, July 13, 2024
(a) The legal entity shall establish, and
						ensure adherence to, written policies and procedures relating to the reporting
						of unusual incidents and child abuse.
(b) The policies and procedures shall
						include, at a minimum, the following:
(1) The
						agency shall immediately report an incident of suspected child abuse to
						ChildLine under,
						23 Pa.C.S. §§
														6301-6384 (relating to the Child Protective
						Services Law).
(2) The agency shall
						provide information to a county child protective service (CPS) in compliance
						with the requirements of §
													3490.56 (relating to CPS
						investigation of suspected child abuse perpetrated by persons employed or
						supervised by child caring agencies and residential facilities).
(3) The agency shall immediately submit an
						oral report of an incident involving the death of a child receiving services
						from the agency to the placing agency and to the appropriate regional office of
						the Department.
(4) Within 24 hours
						of the occurrence, or within the first succeeding business day after the
						occurrence, the agency shall submit an oral report of an injury to a child
						which requires inpatient hospitalization or which, in the opinion of the
						treating physician, may cause death, serious disability or disfigurement and an
						occurrence, such as a fire in a foster family home or a residential child care
						facility, which threatens the health or safety of a child or requires a
						facility providing residential child care to relocate children
						temporarily.
(5) The oral report
						required by paragraph (4) shall be submitted as follows:
(i) To the county agency, if the child is
						referred for services by a county agency.
(ii) To the court and the appropriate
						regional office of the Department, if the child is referred for services
						directly by the court.
(iii) To the
						appropriate regional office of the Department, if the child is referred for
						services directly by the parents.
(6) Reports required by paragraphs (3) and
						(4) shall be followed by written reports on forms provided by the Department
						within 5 calendar days of the occurrence of the incident. The written reports
						shall be submitted to the appropriate agencies as specified by paragraph
						(5).
(7) Oral and written reports
						required by this section shall provide, at a minimum, the name of the child
						involved and a full description of the circumstances surrounding the incident,
						including time, date, place, apparent cause and actions taken or proposed in
						response to the incident, such as arranging for temporary shelter or medical
						care and notifying the child's parents if they are not the placing
						agency.