a. Any of the following: i. Physical abuse: Any act or failure to act that results in bodily injury to a child or that creates a reasonable likelihood of bodily injury. ii. Sexual abuse: Any act or failure to act that causes sexual abuse or sexual exploitation of a child, or any act or failure to act that creates a likelihood of sexual abuse or sexual exploitation. iii. Psychological abuse: Any act or failure to act or series of such acts or failures to act that causes or substantially contributes to serious mental injury to a child. iv. Serious physical neglect: Repeated, prolonged, or egregious lack of supervision in a manner that is appropriate considering the child’s developmental age and abilities, or the failure to provide a child with adequate essentials of life (i.e., food, shelter, or medical care). Serious physical neglect does not include environmental factors beyond the control of the parent or person responsible for the child. v. Fabricating, pretending, or intentionally exaggerating a medical symptom or disease that results in a harmful medical evaluation or treatment to the child. vii. Death: Any act or failure to act at any time in the past that causes the death of a child. viii. Miscellaneous: Engaging in any of the following acts: a. Kicking, biting, throwing, burning, stabbing, or cutting a child in a manner that endangers the child; b. Unreasonably restraining or confining a child; c. Forcefully shaking, slapping, or striking a child under one year of age; d. Interfering with the breathing of a child; e. Causing a child to be present during the operation of a methamphetamine laboratory under investigation by law enforcement; or f. Leaving a child unsupervised with an individual, other than the child’s parent, who the actor knows or reasonably should have known is registered as a Tier II or Tier III sexual offender, has been determined to be a sexually violent predator, and/or has been determined to be a sexually violent delinquent child.
Adverse Action Taken Against Volunteers or Individuals Offered Volunteer Service Should the finding from the background checks produce negative findings, the volunteer or an individual offered volunteer service will be informed of the findings and given the opportunity to review and challenge the factual accuracy of the results. HBLC may revoke its offer of service if prior to individual’s start date or terminate the individual’s service, as permitted under applicable law. Failure to Adhere to Policy Failure to submit or renew background checks may be a crime and, due to the seriousness of this offense, may result in immediate discharge. Confidentiality Information obtained through the application and criminal background check will be kept in confidence, unless otherwise required by law. All information discovered or obtained through the above-referenced means will be kept in a secure location and access to it will be restricted if possible. Mandatory Reporters Under Pennsylvania law, any HBLC volunteer is considered a mandatory reporter. Failure by that individual to report suspected child abuse is a crime. As a mandatory reporter, you have a legal obligation to report if you have reasonable cause to suspect that any child is the victim of child abuse based on: (1) information shared with you by the child or any other individual; or (2) your own observations or suspicions. The duty to report is triggered by reasonable cause to suspect that any child is the victim of child abuse. There is no requirement that you have actual evidence of abuse, nor should you seek to investigate the matter yourself. Furthermore, there is no obligation that the child be involved with HBLC. The Duty to Report Suspected Child Abuse Under Pennsylvania law, mandatory reporters who have reasonable cause to suspect that a child is a victim of child abuse must make a report both externally and internally of the suspected child abuse. An internal report does not satisfy a mandatory reporter’s legal obligations. In accordance with Pennsylvania law, HBLC mandatory reporters must implement the following procedures in the event of suspected child abuse: External Report Immediately call ChildLine (1.800.932.0313; available 24 hours per day) or immediately submit a written report electronically to the Department of Public Welfare or the Child Protective Services office for the child’s county of residence. You may choose to make the report simultaneously with HBLC; however, a simultaneous report does not negate the immediacy with which the external report