PURPOSE

To clarify the responsibilities of volunteers having direct contact where they provide care, supervision, guidance or control of children or have routine interaction with children when physical, mental or sexual abuse is suspected.

SCOPE & APPLICABILITY

This policy applies to all volunteers within the club having direct contact where they provide care, supervision, guidance or control of children or have routine interaction with children. This policy shall be applied to all PTSC board members as well. This policy is adapted from 23 Pa.C.S. §6311(a)(7).

1. As of Jan. 1, 2015, organizations such as the Penn Trafford Soccer Club fits the definition of “program, activity or service” under Pennsylvania’s Child Protective Services Law.

2. According to 23 Pa.C.S. §6311(a)(7), an adult individual who is paid or unpaid, who, on the basis of the individual’s role as an integral part of a regularly scheduled program, activity or service, accepts responsibility for a child MUST make a report of suspected child abuse. (mandatory reporter)

3. Mandatory reporters require clearances prior to the commencement of service.

4. Volunteers between the ages of 14-17 (and obviously younger) are not required to have clearances.

5. Adults who only volunteer one time, such as to help with fields, clean up, etc. are not required to have clearances under the law.

6. All adults 18 years and older applying for an unpaid or paid position at PTSC responsible for the welfare or will be in contact with children must have clearances that include:

a.       PA Child Abuse History clearance

b.       PA State Police Criminal clearance

c.       FBI Criminal Background Check (if not a resident of PA for 10 years)

d.       A Sworn Affidavit that they have no convictions that would disqualify them (10 or more years in PA)

7. Any individual supervised or managed by a mandatory reporter are also deemed to be mandatory reporters.

8. Any individual shall who suspects child abuse MUST call the Pennsylvania Statewide toll-free ChildLine at 1-800-932-0313.

a. Said reporter must then make a written report, which may be submitted electronically, within 48 hours to the department or county agency assigned to the case (as required). Instructions will be provided after communication with ChildLine.

b. Said reporter must also inform the Director and the Assistant Director of the club immediately after suspecting child abuse and reporting the abuse to ChildLine.

9. Penn Trafford Soccer Club is an affiliate of US Soccer via PA WEST. Please note that reporting to US Soccer does not fulfill one’s obligation to report under federal law. However, you are encouraged to also report the incident to US Soccer by calling 312-528-7004.

10. For the purposes of this policy, child abuse shall be defined as set forth in Pennsylvania’s Child Protective Services Law (23 Pa.C.S. §6301 et seq.). More specifically, 23 Pa.C.S. §6303(b.1) defines “child abuse” as meaning intentionally, knowingly or recklessly doing any of the following:

a. Causing bodily injury to a child through any recent act or failure to act.

b. Fabricating, feigning or intentionally exaggerating or inducing a medical symptom or disease which results in a potentially harmful medical evaluation or treatment to the child through any recent act.

c. Causing or substantially contributing to serious mental injury to a child through any act or failure to act or a series of such acts or failures to act. Causing sexual abuse or exploitation of a child through any act or failure to act.

d. Creating a reasonable likelihood of bodily injury to a child through any recent act or failure to act.

e. Creating a likelihood of sexual abuse or exploitation of a child through any recent act or failure to act.

f. Causing serious physical neglect of a child.

g. Engaging in any of the following recent acts:

  i. Kicking, biting, throwing, burning, stabbing or cutting a child in a manner that endangers the child.

              ii. Unreasonably restraining or confining a child, based on consideration of the method, location or the duration of the restraint or confinement.

                    iii. Forcefully shaking a child under one year of age.

                    iv. Forcefully slapping or otherwise striking a child under one year of age.

                      v. Interfering with the breathing of a child.

                    vi. Causing a child to be present at a location while a violation of 18 Pa.C.S. §7508.2 (relating to operation of methamphetamine laboratory) is occurring, provided that the violation is being investigated by law enforcement.

                    vii. Leaving a child unsupervised with an individual, other than the child’s parent, who the actor knows or reasonably should have known:
1. Is required to register as a Tier II or Tier III sexual offender under 42 Pa.C.S. Ch. 97 Subch. H (relating to registration of sexual offenders), where the victim of the sexual offense was under 18 years of age when the crime was committed.

2. Has been determined to be a sexually violent predator under 42 Pa.C.S. §9799.24 (relating to assessments) or any of its predecessors.

3. Has been determined to be a sexually violent delinquent child as defined in 42 Pa.C.S. §9799.12 (relating to definitions)

4. Causing the death of the child through any act or failure to act.

11.  “Recent” as stated above shall mean an abusive act that has occurred within two (2) years from the date that ChildLine is called.