Child Abuse and Neglect Training

Resource for Times of School Closure

Information for Mandated Reporters DPI has partnered with the Department of Children and Families (DCF) to create this resource related to mandated reporting and the duty of all school staff to report suspicions of child abuse and neglect. The document reminds school staff about their responsibility as a mandated reporter and the signs of child abuse and neglect. On the reverse side, question examples are provided to help guide conversations with students and caregivers to further understanding and target supports.

Training

Wisconsin law requires all employees of Wisconsin public school districts to report suspected child abuse and neglect, Wis. Stat. sec. 48.981(2)(a)16m. In addition, school boards are to ensure all employees receive training provided by the Department of Public Instruction within six months of initial hiring and at least every five years thereafter, Wis. Stat. sec. 118.07(5). Employees are considered to be anyone who receives an annual statement of wages for tax purposes (W-2 form) from the school district. Some school districts contract with a Cooperative Educational Service Agency (CESA) or other organizations for different kinds of services. In such cases, school districts may wish to consider requiring these contracted personnel to participate in the required training, if they work with students.

School districts may select one of two methods to ensure their employees complete the training requirement:

1. Learning Modules   (English and Spanish Versions)

 

(Chrome is the preferred internet browser to view these online training modules.)

All school employees complete the Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect - Training for All School Employees learning module.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN
1. Make sure you know where to send your confirmation email (for example, to a supervisor, a principal, or human resources in your district.) Your school should provide instructions for where to send this email.
2. Keep a copy of your confirmation email as proof of training completion. If you transfer to a different school district within 5 years of taking the training, this email will serve as your proof of completion.
3. DPI is not responsible for keeping or maintaining records of course completion. This responsibility lies with the school district. Do not send your confirmation email to DPI.
4. It may take 10-14 business days to receive your confirmation email.

IMPORTANT NOTE
Due to the high volume of users taking this course, it may take 10-14 business days to receive your confirmation email. If you do not receive a confirmation email within 10-14 business days, please do the following:
   - Check spam/junk email folders.
   - Ensure all email addresses are spelled correctly.
   - Separate multiple email addresses with commas (not spaces, periods, or semicolons.)
   - Retake the training and submit the form again.

• Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect-Training for All School Employees
• Obligatoriedad de Denunciar el Abuso y la Negligencia de Menores Capacitacion para todos los Emlpeados de la Escuela (Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect-Training for All School Employees - Spanish Text and Audio)
• Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect-Supplemental Information
• Obligatoriedad de Denunciar el Abuso y la Negligencia de Menores – Informacion Adicional (Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect-Supplemental Information - Spanish Text and Audio)

2. Local In-Service   Updated August 2018

Provide a local in-service using the Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect-Training for All School Employees PowerPoint presentation. Speaker notes are provided within each PowerPoint slide. The entire PowerPoint must be utilized in order to meet the statutory requirement of completion of DPI training. The Department recommends that anyone using the PowerPoint for a local in-service also view the Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect - Supplemental Information learning module as part of the preparation. Local presenters may incorporate any and all of the slides from the Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect - Supplemental Information PowerPoint presentation into a local in-service. In addition, local information (e.g., phone number for county child protective services) may be added to the presentation. School districts using this option to meet the training requirement may locally determine how to document employee participation.

• Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect-Training for All School Employees
• Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect-Supplemental Information

Additional Resources

• The School's Role in Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect
• Reporting Requirements for Sexually Active Adolescents: Suggested Procedures for Educators
• Confidential Services Available to Minors
• Department of Children and Families-Child Protective Services
• Children's Trust Fund
• Prevent Child Abuse Wisconsin
• Wisconsin Child Sex Trafficking and Exploitation Indicator and Response Guide for Mandated Reporters (English)
• Wisconsin Child Sex Trafficking and Exploitation Indicator and Response Guide for Mandated Reporters (Spanish)

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Please note: All school employees must also complete the Mandatory Reporting of Threats of School Violence (Act 143) Training. The web module for this training is available on the Student Services/Prevention and Wellness Required Training for Wisconsin School Staff webpage.