Newsletter

AB 506, Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention

By Alex Mellor, Senior Risk Manager

On January 1, 2022, California Assembly Bill 506 (Gonzalez) went into effect. This new law requires “Youth Service Organizations” (including local government agencies) to take the following steps to prevent child abuse:

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• Provide training in child abuse and neglect, identification, and reporting to all agency administrators, employees, and regular volunteers.
• Perform background checks pursuant to Section 11105.3 of the CA Penal Code on all agency administrators, employees, and regular volunteers, and exclude any persons with a history of child abuse.
• Develop and implement child abuse prevention policies and procedures, including, but not limited to:
  • Policies to ensure the reporting of suspected incidents of child abuse to persons or entities outside of the organization, including the reporting required pursuant to Section 11165.9 of the CA Penal Code.
  • Policies requiring, to the extent possible, the presence of at least two mandated reporters whenever administrators, employees, or volunteers are in contact with or supervising children.

While many members with youth-serving programs already meet these requirements, those who do not are strongly encouraged to take steps toward compliance. The California JPIA has resources to assist, including a Mandated Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Policy template (available in the resource library) and Mandated Reporter Training in both classroom and virtual settings. Web-based training is also available through the Office of Child Abuse Prevention, California Department of Social Services.

Grooming is a process by which offenders gradually draw victims into a predatory relationship while maintaining that relationship in secrecy. Members are strongly encouraged to conduct training for employees and volunteers so they may recognize the grooming process and common grooming behaviors. While background checks are recognized as an effective method to screen out convicted abusers, many others have not been detected by the criminal justice system. Therefore, additional screening procedures are needed to exclude potential abusers from employment or volunteer opportunities.

Finally, members should also have a robust recordkeeping system designed to retain important records related to the agency’s child abuse prevention efforts.

If you have questions, please contact your regional risk manager.

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