by Leslie Foster

  

What do you do if a child tells you someone hurt them?

What do you do if you see someone hurting a child in public?

What do you do if you accidentally bruise or hurt your child?

Call the Department of Human Services Abuse and Neglect Hotline at 1-800-522-3511. If you believe the child is in immediate danger, also call the police.

In the state of Oklahoma, everyone is a mandated reporter by law. That means that everyone must report child abuse and/or neglect, not just pediatricians or teachers or therapists. It is not our job to determine if something actually happened to the child. That is the job of DHS. It is only our job to report when a child says something has happened or if we witness something happen to a child. It is important to call immediately. Do NOT wait 1-2 weeks before you call. If you question whether or not your should report abuse, go ahead and make the call.

When calling the hotline to report child abuse, be prepared to provide as much information as possible:

1. Your name, phone number and relationship to the child

2. Child's name, age, birthday, address, social security number

3. Child's family members information: name, age birthday, phone number, school or work information

4. Concerns you have regarding the child such as details of the incident the child told you about or a description of the child's injuries. Does the person who allegedly hurt the child have access to the child? When was the last time you saw the child? Does the child currently have injuries?

5. Is there anything in the home that could harm a worker (weapons, aggressive animals, etc.)?

6. What is the primary language of the family?

Remember, it's perfectly acceptable to reply, "I don't know" if you don't have all the information. Most people cannot answer all of those questions - and that's okay. Finally, DHS does not reveal the source of a report or referral, so you can make a report without fear of your identity being revealed.

DHS Reporting

Oklahoma Statute Title 10A, Section 1-2-101

 

Leslie Foster, MSW is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Registered Play Therapist.

(week of April 10 - 16, 2017)

 

On Thursday, April 13, CAN welcomed members of the community to the Children's Advocacy Center for a luncheon and tour. David Glanz, CAN Child Specialist, spoke about the mission of CAN and gave a tour of the facility. Getting to Know CAN is an informational opportunity for those interested in learning more about what we do. The next lunch and tour will be held June 8th.

Learn More

The month of April is honored across the country as National Child Abuse Awareness & Prevention Month. To find out about what you can do to prevent, stop and heal the trauma of abuse, check out the newsletter from the National Children's Alliance.

Learn More

CAN has been featured in the news recently. In case you missed it, you can check out the stories by following the links below.

Tulsa Lifestule Magazine - April issue

GTR Newspapers - April issue

VALUES Magazine - April issue

Tulsa World - April 16 issue

Thank you!