Why is this required?
On July 5, 2012, Governor Corbett signed into law Act of July 5, 2012, P.L. 1084, No. 126 Cl. 24 Session of 2012, which amended the Public School Code of 1949 to mandate that all school entities (a public school, charter school, cyber charter school, private school, nonpublic school, intermediate unit or area vocational-technical school) and independent contractors of school entities provide child abuse training to all employees who have direct contact with children.
Who must be trained under the law?
All employees of an independent contractor of a school entity and a school entity, which is defined as a public school, charter school, cyber charter school, private school, nonpublic school, intermediate unit or area vocational-technical school, who have direct contact with children. The law defines "direct contact" with children as “the possibility of care, supervision, guidance or control of children or routine interaction with children” which is essentially every Erie School District employee.
IMPORTANT:
All Erie's Public Schools employees are required to take the University of Pittsburgh online course titled "Recognizing and Reporting Child Abuse: Mandated and Permissive Reporting in Pennsylvania." The free three-hour course provides information on the recognition of child maltreatment, the obligation to report child maltreatment and the procures for making a report of a child maltreatment. The course has been approved by the PA Department of Human Services and Department of State to meet mandated reporting (Act 31) training requirements. The course also meets credit requirements for Act 126 (child abuse recognition and reporting).
