NCJ Number
131210
Date Published
1989
Length
67 pages
Annotation
This handbook, published by the California Association of Services for Children (CSC), examines ways of identifying and preventing child abuse in group homes and residential care facilities.
Abstract
CSC is comprised of 65 nonprofit agencies that offer 24-hour group and residential care, foster family care, day treatment, and special education services to more than 15,000 children and youth in California each year. The responsibilities of staff in residential facilities are enormous; staff must have skill, knowledge, and courage. Group homes and residential care facilities must be prepared for child abuse allegations before they happen and must develop policies and procedures to follow when abuse is suspected. All staff working directly with residents are mandated reporters under California's child abuse reporting law. When abuse is suspected, reports must be made to the local child protection agency within 24 hours of discovering the incident. A child welfare or law enforcement official must investigate and determine whether child abuse occurred. False allegations may happen because of prior trauma experienced by residents. When abuse is substantiated, the local child protection agency must carefully review what went wrong in order to prevent another occurrence. Both staff and residents must have an opportunity to voice their feelings about what happened. The handbook covers skills and approaches associated with providing positive guidance and discipline, with emphasis on children's needs, caregivers' skills, and crisis intervention. Suggestions are offered to help managers of group homes and residential care facilities select and train the best possible staff. Photographs