Valerie Duplessis – 13yrs
Chris Cazenave – 6yrs
Ben Haney – 6yrs
Monica Fernandez - 4yrs
Kathleen Murphy – 4yrs
Vanessa Stemley – 4yrs
Allison Ulrich - 4yrs
Aneesah King- 2yrs
Loreny Quintin – 2yrs
 

     Citation: Children's Code Art. 603(17)                                                                 
     Mandatory reporters include any of the following individuals:

• Health practitioners, including physicians, surgeons, physical therapists, dentists, residents, interns, hospital staff, podiatrists, chiropractors, nurses, nursing aides, dental hygienists, emergency medical technicians, paramedics, optometrists, medical examiners, or coroners
• Mental health/social service practitioners, including psychiatrists, psychologists, marriage or family counselors, social workers, members of the clergy, or aides
• Members of the clergy, including priests, rabbis, duly ordained clerical deacons or ministers, Christian Science practitioners, or other similarly situated functionaries of a religious organization
• Teaching or child care providers, including public or private teachers, teacher's aides, instructional aides, school principals, school staff members, bus drivers, coaches, professors, technical or vocational instructors, technical or vocational school staff members, college or university administrators, college or university staff members, social workers, probation officers, foster home parents, group home or other child care institutional staff members, personnel of residential home facilities, daycare providers, or any individual who provides such services to a child in a voluntary or professional capacity
• Police officers or law enforcement officials
• Commercial film and photographic print processors
• Mediators
• Parenting coordinators
• Court-appointed special advocates (CASA)
• Organizational or youth activity providers, including administrators, employees, or volunteers of any day camp, summer camp, youth center, or youth recreation programs or any other organization that provides organized activities for children
• School coaches, including, but not limited to, public technical or vocational school, community college, college, or university coaches and coaches of intramural or interscholastic athletics.

    Standards for Making a Report - A report is required when:

• A reporter has cause to believe that a child's physical or mental health or welfare is endangered as a result of abuse or neglect.
• A commercial film or photographic print processor has knowledge of or observes any film, photograph, videotape, negative, or slide depicting a child, whom he or she knows or should know is under age 17, that constitutes child pornography.
• A physician has cause to believe that a newborn was exposed in utero to an unlawfully used controlled dangerous substance, as determined by a toxicology test upon the newborn, without the consent of the newborn's parents or guardian. Positive test results shall not be admissible in a criminal prosecution.
• A physician observes symptoms of withdrawal in a newborn or other observable and harmful effects in his or her physical appearance or functioning that the physician has cause to believe are due to the chronic or severe use of alcohol by the mother during pregnancy.

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     Safety Tips - Mardi Gras
    

•  Teach your children their name and phone number.
•  Mark your children's clothes on the inside with your name, address, and phone number.
•  Go to the same area to view parades if possible and teach your child a landmark to meet if separated.
•  Teach your children to stay calm if lost and go to a uniformed police officer.
•  Teach your child not to be afraid of police officers and if possible take them up to 1 prior to the parade.
•  If no police officer is in your area teach your child to go to another parent with children for help.
•  Make sure your child knows if a stranger tries to talk to them, to say "You're not my parent," and get away.
•  Never allow children in the street, try to find an area with barricades and stand behind them.
•  Never follow behind floats, bands, etc.
•  Never throw anything at the riders.
•  Put small children in a ladder off the street as far back as the ladder is tall, and have an adult stay         with the ladder at all times.

P PLEASE SHARE THESE TIPS WITH YOUR CASA CHID AND THEIR FOSTER FAMILIES
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Recognizing Sign and Symptoms of Abuse & Neglect
   
​Signs and Symptoms- Maltreatment
• Shows sudden changes in behavior/school performance
​• Has learning problems /difficulty concentrating
• Is always watchful, as though preparing for something bad to happen
• Lacks adult supervision
• Is overly compliant, passive, or withdrawn
• Comes to school/other activities early, stays late, and does not want to go home
• Is reluctant to be around a particular person

    Signs and Symptoms – Physical Abuse
• Has unexplained injuries, such as burns, bites, bruises, broken bones, or black eyes
• Has fading bruises/other noticeable marks after an absence from school
• Seems scared, anxious, depressed, withdrawn, or aggressive
• Seems frightened of his or her parents and protests or cries when it is time to go home
• Shrinks at the approach of adults
• Shows changes in eating/sleeping habits
​• Reports injury by a parent or another adult caregiver

Signs and Symptoms – Neglect
• Is frequently absent from school
• Begs or steals food or money
• Lacks needed medical care, dental care, or glasses
• Is consistently dirty and has severe
body odor • Lacks sufficient clothing for the weather
• Abuses alcohol or other drugs
• States that there is no one at home to provide care 
 
Signs and Symptoms – Sexual Abuse
 • Has difficulty walking/sitting
• Experiences bleeding, bruising, or swelling in their private parts
• Suddenly refuses to go to school • Reports nightmares/bedwetting
• Experiences a sudden change in appetite
• Demonstrates bizarre, sophisticated, or unusual sexual knowledge or behavior
• Becomes pregnant or contracts a sexually transmitted disease, particularly if under age 14
• Attaches very quickly to strangers or new adults in their environment
​   
Sudden Changes are Key Help/Support Is Needed ASAP
• Self-injury (cutting, burning)
• Inadequate personal hygiene
• Drug and alcohol use
• Sexual promiscuity
• Running away from home
• Depression, anxiety, suicide attempts
• Fear of intimacy or closeness

 Prevention - Get Involved
• Know people in child’s daily life
• Choose caregivers wisely
• Talk about social media
• Know the warnings
• Be available
• Healthy boundaries
• Talk about bodies
• Discuss secrets do’s and don’ts
​• Ask “Is there anything else you want to talk about?”

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