School Board to Review Revised Abuse Reporting Protocols

The Montgomery County Board of Education is expected to review a revised set of draft protocols for reporting an allegation of abuse or neglect of a child at a board meeting on Monday.

“It is basically making it clear what people are supposed to do and how to proceed if there is an allegation of abuse or neglect of a child. This is all part of an ongoing effort,” said MCPS Spokesman Dana Tofig.

The revised policy was developed in collaboration by the Board of Education Policy Management Committee with partner agencies, including the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office, the Montgomery County Police Department, and Child Welfare Services in the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services, commonly known as Child Protective Services, according to a memo from School Board Member Philip Kauffman, chairman of the Board of Education Policy Management Committee.

The Child Abuse and Neglect Work Group was created in the fall of 2014 to recommend ways for the school system to enhance awareness of child abuse and neglect among parents, staff, and students and improve how MCPS monitors and reports allegations of abuse or neglect.

The documents are up for preliminary approval on April 27th with an opportunity for public input in late June. The public comments will then be reviewed by the Policy Management Committee then presented to the School Board for final adoption.

You can read a draft here.

About Krista Brick

Krista Brick is a multi-media journalist with Montgomery Community Media.

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