NCJ Number
149207
Date Published
1991
Length
42 pages
Annotation
Child care providers have important roles to play in protecting the more than 1 million children who suffer serious harm each year due to child abuse and the 350,000 children who are abducted annually by family members; guidelines are presented to help these providers fulfill their roles.
Abstract
The guidelines focus on learning what child abuse is, understanding the reporting responsibilities of child care providers when child abuse is suspected, identifying characteristics of child abusers, developing personnel screening and selection techniques to ensure safety in child care settings, understanding the role of facility design as part of child proteciton, formulating policies to be implemented by child care providers that enhance program safety, and identifying resources for additional information about child abuse and exploitation. The guidelines acknowledge that child care programs constitute no more risk of child victimizaiton than other child-oriented activities, that child care providers can help victimized children by recognizing signs of their victimization, and that child care providers should consider risk factors and incorporate architectural designs that reduce the opportunity for child abuse. In addition, the guidelines cover specific child protection policies that relate to stress, corporal punishment, isolation, parental access, parental openness, and custody arrangements. Appendixes contain a sample child abuse report form, a sample employment application, and a list of additional resources. 20 references and 32 notes