Chapter 3.2. Staff Development In The Detection Of Child Abuse And Neglect of California Education Code >> Division 3. >> Title 2. >> Part 25. >> Chapter 3.2.
(a) The State Department of Education, in consultation with
the Office of Child Abuse Prevention in the State Department of
Social Services, shall do all of the following:
(1) Develop and disseminate information to all school districts,
county offices of education, state special schools and diagnostic
centers operated by the State Department of Education, and charter
schools, and their school personnel in California, regarding the
detection and reporting of child abuse.
(2) Provide statewide guidance on the responsibilities of mandated
reporters who are school personnel in accordance with the Child
Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act (Article 2.5 (commencing with Section
11164) of Chapter 2 of Title 1 of Part 4 of the Penal Code). This
guidance shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, both of
the following:
(A) Information on the identification of child abuse and neglect.
(B) Reporting requirements for child abuse and neglect.
(3) Develop appropriate means of instructing school personnel in
the detection of child abuse and neglect and the proper action that
school personnel should take in suspected cases of child abuse and
neglect, including, but not limited to, an online training module to
be provided by the State Department of Social Services.
(4) Establish best practices for school personnel to prevent
abuse, including sexual abuse, of children on school grounds, by
school personnel, or in school-sponsored programs, and post on the
department's Internet Web site links to existing training resources.
(b) School districts, county offices of education, state special
schools and diagnostic centers operated by the State Department of
Education, and charter schools shall do both of the following:
(1) Provide annual training, using the online training module
provided by the State Department of Social Services or as provided in
subdivision (c), to their employees and persons working on their
behalf who are mandated reporters, as defined in Section 11165.7 of
the Penal Code, pursuant to this section and subdivision (d) of
Section 11165.7 of the Penal Code on the mandated reporting
requirements. Mandated reporter training shall be provided to school
personnel hired during the course of the school year. This training
shall include information that failure to report an incident of known
or reasonably suspected child abuse or neglect, as required by
Section 11166 of the Penal Code, is a misdemeanor punishable by up to
six months confinement in a county jail, or by a fine of one
thousand dollars ($1,000), or by both that imprisonment and fine.
(2) Develop a process for all persons required to receive training
pursuant to this section to provide proof of completing the training
within the first six weeks of each school year or within the first
six weeks of that person's employment. The process developed under
this paragraph may include, but not necessarily be limited to, the
use of a sign-in sheet or the submission of a certificate of
completion to the applicable governing board or body of the school
district, county office of education, state special school and
diagnostic center, or charter school.
(c) School districts, county offices of education, state special
schools and diagnostic centers operated by the State Department of
Education, and charter schools that do not use the online training
module provided by the State Department of Social Services shall
report to the State Department of Education the training being used
in its place.
(d) School districts, county offices of education, state special
schools and diagnostic centers operated by the State Department of
Education, and charter schools are encouraged to participate in
training on the prevention of abuse, including sexual abuse, of
children on school grounds, by school personnel, or in
school-sponsored programs, and are also encouraged to provide all
school employees with that training at least once every three years.