Outline

This outline provides an overview of the core topics in CSF’s national child abuse reporting training. It is designed to build a clear understanding of key concepts and best reporting practices.

Section	Goal	Activity
Introduction	Establish context for why accurate and timely reporting matters.	Identify the purpose and objectives for the training, starting with "why."
Legal Components	Build understanding of mandated reporting laws and foundational CPS processes.	Cover mandated reporting legal requirements, key definitions, and establish who are "investigative parties."
Long-Term Impact	Connect reporting to long-term prevention and community wellness.	Explain how early detection and accurate reporting prevent long-term trauma-related outcomes by linking the ACE framework to brain development, community wellness, and public health prevention.
Recognizing Indicators	Equip participants to identify observable signs of abuse and neglect using examples.	Discuss the common forms of maltreatment including physical abuse, neglect, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, substance-related exposure, and exposure to domestic violence.
Risk and Protective Factors	Deepen understanding of contextual, systemic, and environmental factors contributing to maltreatment.	Explore how environmental, familial, and behavioral conditions such as poverty, unstable housing, untreated mental illness, and power and control—intersect to elevate child maltreatment risk.
Safety Evaluation	Teach participants to view child safety as a continuous process of observation, reflection, and response.	Cultivate a professional mindset around child safety, helping mandated reporters think critically, recognize patterns, and respond effectively to maltreatment.
Reporting Barriers	Reduce hesitation and normalize the act of reporting.	Identify common barriers to reporting and strategies on how to overcome them.
Reasonable Suspicion	Clarify when a report must be made based on “reasonable suspicion.”	Explain how to identify and act on reasonable suspicion by distinguishing uncertainty from inaction, contrasting neglect versus poverty, and applying a simple decision flow to determine when a report is warranted.
Responding to Disclosures	Build confidence in handling direct or indirect child disclosures.	Demonstrate how to respond calmly and appropriately to a child’s disclosure by practicing active listening, asking open-ended questions, avoiding promises or speculation, and reinforcing trust through trauma-informed communication.
Best Practices Before Reporting	Promote collaboration and accuracy before filing a report.	Demonstrate how to ensure accurate, coordinated reporting by engaging caregivers appropriately, collaborating with other mandated reporters, and preparing complete, single reports that reflect shared understanding and clear communication.
Unbiased Reporting	Eliminate bias and discrimination in reporting while promoting objectivity.	Strengthen decision-making by helping participants recognize and correct personal or cultural bias, ensuring that reports are based solely on observable safety concerns and objective indicators of maltreatment, not family background or identity.
How to Report	Strengthen procedural accuracy and confidence in completing mandated reports.	Demonstrate the correct reporting sequence by walking participants through each required step — completing forms accurately, following agency communication protocols, and applying concise, objective language when describing safety concerns.
After Reporting	Clarify what happens once a report is filed to build trust and understanding of CPS processes.	Explain how reports are screened, reviewed, and assigned, emphasizing the safety review process, data analysis, and how allegations are categorized and dispositioned (assigned or screened out).
Checking the Report Status	Encourage responsible follow-up without overstepping confidentiality boundaries.	Guide participants on when and how to request updates, interpret screening outcomes, and communicate appropriately with CPS staff — reinforcing patience, professionalism, and persistence when child safety concerns persist.
Reporter Stress and Professional Self-Care	Normalize emotional responses to reporting and promote long-term professional resilience.	Discuss common stress reactions after filing (worry, doubt, compassion fatigue) and model healthy coping strategies, reinforcing the message: You are responsible for reporting concerns, not proving abuse.
Confidentiality	Reinforce the ethical and legal limits of information sharing in mandated reporting.	Clarify who can be informed about a report, what information is protected, and why maintaining confidentiality preserves the integrity of investigations and protects both the reporter and child(ren).
Notifying Law Enforcement	Distinguish when reports must also be referred to law enforcement.	Define the threshold for dual reporting by walking participants through examples of imminent danger, sexual abuse, trafficking, or criminal conduct, emphasizing collaborative communication with law enforcement while maintaining CPS protocol.