AB-506 has new training requirements specific to California. The guidelines to this training are very specific and requires that your training cover the following topics:
- Details of The Child Abuse & Neglect Reporting Act (CANRA)
- Identification of Abuse
- Guidelines to Determining Reasonable Suspicion
- Profession Specific Information
- Procedures for reporting
For a mandated reporter in a church, making a report of suspected child abuse can be difficult. There are concerns about confidentiality, how the person suspected of abuse will react, what the outcome will be, and whether a report may place the child at greater risk. In a ministry setting, this gets extremely complicated. The best way to minimize the difficulty is to be trained for the experience.
Training That Meets the Requirements of AB-506 for Ministry Staff and Volunteers
We are aware of only two programs that meet these requirements.
Free Training
Available from the California Department of Social Services, the Child Abuse Mandated Reporter Training can self-administered by your employees and volunteers. They will need to go through the appropriate training on their own and provide your ministry with a certificate of completion.
- For Employees: the four hour general training module must be completed (and they must be paid for this training).
- For Clergy & Religious Practitioners: the four hour general training, plus two hour clergy training must be completed.
- For Volunteers: the two hour volunteer training module must be completed.
Faith Based Training
Subscribers to the ChurchHRNetwork’s HR360 have access to training that meets California’s requirements. This training can be completed in 90 minutes, courses are assigned by your ministry, and all materials are specific to a church. While there is a fee for this service, the expense ends up being less because the training takes less time to complete, and the process is more efficient. Additionally, your subscription includes California required training for Harassment Prevention for a Christian workplace, HR on Call, model programs, and other HR resources designed for Christian organizations in California.
Ministries insured with ChurchWest receive a 20% discount by entering churchwest20 when subscribing.
Mandated Reporting Resources
Easy Steps for California Mandated Reporting
What You Should Know About Mandated Reporting
Suspected Child Abuse Report (form 8572)
