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The Role of Professional Child Care Providers in Preventing and Responding to Child Abuse and Neglect
User Manual Series (2008)

Author(s):  Children's Bureau Karageorge, Kendall

Year Published:  2008

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You are in section: Table of Contents Preface Acknowledgments 1 - Purpose and Overview 2 - Recognizing Child Abuse or Neglect 3 - Reporting Suspected Child Abuse or Neglect 4 - Minimizing the Risk of Maltreatment in Child Care Programs 5 - Preventing and Responding to Child Abuse and Neglect… 6 - Responding to Allegations of Child Maltreatment… 7 - Caring for Maltreated and At-Risk Children 8 - Supporting Parents Endnotes Appendix A - Glossary of Terms Appendix B - Resource Listings of Selected National Organizations Appendix C - State Telephone Numbers… Appendix D - Handouts for Parents Appendix E - Sample Report of Suspected Child Abuse or Neglect Appendix F - Risk Indicators: Touch Policy Appendix G - Risk Indicators: Developmental Expectations… Appendix H - Risk Indicators: Child Abuse Prevention Curriculum Appendix I - Family Support Strategies

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Chapter 5
Preventing and Responding to Child Abuse and Neglect: The Role of Family Child Care Providers

The role of family child care providers in preventing and in responding to child abuse and neglect is similar in many ways to that of staff in other child care programs. Family child care providers also are mandated to report suspected child abuse or neglect and, therefore, have the same need for training in its recognition and reporting. Additionally, many of the strategies for caring for maltreated children or for children at risk of maltreatment and for supporting their parents are the same whether the child is in a center-based program or in a family child care home.

Family child care providers are often more likely than center staff to form close relationships with parents or they may even be related to the children in their care. They also may reside in the same community or neighborhood as the children and their families. Because of this close contact, providers may know more about a family's situation than a center's providers would. These personal relationships may help family child care providers offer parents needed preventive or early intervention supports. While personal relationships can help providers detect possible abuse or neglect, they also can make it more difficult to report.

Family child care providers can protect the children in their care by being knowledgeable about and by following any applicable licensing or other regulations, by receiving appropriate training, and by incorporating sound child care practices.

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Licensing and Regulations

State licensing regulations list rules about how to keep children safe while they are in nonparental care. Regulations cover issues ranging from the child-adult ratios, the requirements for criminal records checks, the pretraining and ongoing training requirements, and other issues, ranging from the use of kiddy pools to putting infants on their backs to sleep. Family child care providers should consult with their State licensing agency to find out which regulations apply to them. A list of State licensing agencies is available from the National Child Care Information and Technical Assistance Center (NCCIC) at http://www.nccic.org/statedata/dirs/display.cfm?title=licensing. The licensure regulations from the 50 States and the District of Columbia also are available on the website for the National Resource Center for Health and Safety in Child Care and Early Education at http://nrc.uchsc.edu.

Accreditation is available to family child care providers through the National Association for Family Child Care (NAFCC). NAFCC accreditation standards cover the following content areas: relationships, environment, activities, developmental learning goals, safety and health, and professional and business practices.

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Training

In many States, family child care providers are required to have regular training in preventing, recognizing, and reporting child abuse and neglect and in working with families after a report has been made. This training usually is available from a variety of resources, including child care licensing agencies, child protective services (CPS), child care resource and referral agencies, colleges and universities, and professional organizations. Although family child care providers may be required to have training, they generally are responsible for finding and for paying for it themselves.

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Family Child Care Practices

Many of the procedures listed in Chapter 4, Minimizing the Risk of Maltreatment in Child Care Programs, will be useful to family child care providers. There are, however, additional considerations for family child care providers about how they run their businesses.

Keeping the home safe. Since care is provided in homes, family providers need to plan strategies to meet the challenges of keeping the environment safe for children, both in terms of adequate supervision and in limiting the access of anyone not associated with the actual care of the children.

Developing relationships with community resources. In a center, the directors or the family services workers are likely to develop a relationship with the community programs that provide support for parents; in family child care homes, this responsibility falls directly on the family child care providers.

Reducing stress and preventing burnout. Because there may be no other adult caregivers around, family child care providers should take steps to reduce stress and to avoid burnout that could lead to the abuse or neglect of children in their care, especially those with challenging behaviors. To decrease the risk of abuse or neglect in their homes, providers should identify supports that reduce their isolation and that provide resources. In addition, family care providers need to have a plan for backup support to care for the children in emergencies or when the provider is ill.

Establishing policies and procedures. Family providers who are accused of abuse or neglect are in a more difficult, vulnerable position than those in other centers. While there may be no witnesses to corroborate the accusations, there also might be no witnesses to protect the providers. One form of protection is to have policies and procedures in place that demonstrate that high-quality care is planned and to document activities throughout the day. Depending on the jurisdiction, a family child care provider who is accused of child abuse or neglect will be investigated by either CPS or the police. This is a serious situation, and providers should obtain legal counsel. Chapter 6, Responding to Allegations of Child Maltreatment in Child Care Programs, describes how centers should respond to accusations and also applies to family child care providers.

Dealing with threats to safety. Family child care providers who are confronted by an angry parent have fewer protections than a provider in a center. If family child care providers feel that they or the children in their care are being threatened, they should make sure that the children are safe and contact the local law enforcement agency.

Assisting maltreated children. The challenging behaviors of maltreated children may cause problems for family child care providers who may have little professional support or respite in managing the behavior of children who are acting out because of abuse or neglect. However, a family child care home where there are fewer children and more individual attention may be the environment in which these children thrive.

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You are in section: Table of Contents Preface Acknowledgments 1 - Purpose and Overview 2 - Recognizing Child Abuse or Neglect 3 - Reporting Suspected Child Abuse or Neglect 4 - Minimizing the Risk of Maltreatment in Child Care Programs 5 - Preventing and Responding to Child Abuse and Neglect… 6 - Responding to Allegations of Child Maltreatment… 7 - Caring for Maltreated and At-Risk Children 8 - Supporting Parents Endnotes Appendix A - Glossary of Terms Appendix B - Resource Listings of Selected National Organizations Appendix C - State Telephone Numbers… Appendix D - Handouts for Parents Appendix E - Sample Report of Suspected Child Abuse or Neglect Appendix F - Risk Indicators: Touch Policy Appendix G - Risk Indicators: Developmental Expectations… Appendix H - Risk Indicators: Child Abuse Prevention Curriculum Appendix I - Family Support Strategies

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Updated on October 9, 2009