Iowa Child Abuse Reporting Statute

IOWA CODE

Title VI. Human Services

Subtitle 5. Juveniles

Chapter 232. Juvenile Justice

Division III. Child in Need of Assistance Proceedings

Part 2. Child Abuse Reporting, Assessment, and Rehabilitation

232.69. Mandatory and permissive reporters--training required

1. The classes of persons enumerated in this subsection shall make a report within twenty-four hours and as provided in section 232.70, of cases of child abuse. In addition, the classes of persons enumerated in this subsection shall make a report of abuse of a child who is under twelve years of age and may make a report of abuse of a child who is twelve years of age or older, which would be defined as child abuse under section 232.68, subsection 2, paragraph "c" or "e", except that the abuse resulted from the acts or omissions of a person other than a person responsible for the care of the child.

a. Every health practitioner who in the scope of professional practice, examines, attends, or treats a child and who reasonably believes the child has been abused. Notwithstanding section 139A.30, this provision applies to a health practitioner who receives information confirming that a child is infected with a sexually transmitted disease.

b. Any of the following persons who, in the scope of professional practice or in their employment responsibilities, examines, attends, counsels, or treats a child and reasonably believes a child has suffered abuse:

(1) A social worker.

(2) An employee or operator of a public or private health care facility as defined in section 135C.1.

(3) A certified psychologist.

(4) A licensed school employee, certified para-educator, holder of a coaching authorization issued under section 272.31, or an instructor employed by a community college.

(5) An employee or operator of a licensed child care center, registered child development home, head start program, family development and self-sufficiency grant program under section 216A.107, or healthy opportunities for parents to experience success-healthy families Iowa program under section 135.106.

(6) An employee or operator of a substance abuse program or facility licensed under chapter 125.

(7) An employee of a department of human services institution listed in section 218.1.

(8) An employee or operator of a juvenile detention or juvenile shelter care facility approved under section 232.142.

(9) An employee or operator of a foster care facility licensed or approved under chapter 237.

(10) An employee or operator of a mental health center.

(11) A peace officer.

(12) A counselor or mental health professional.

(13) An employee or operator of a provider of services to children funded under a federally approved medical assistance home and community-based services waiver.

2. Any other person who believes that a child has been abused may make a report as provided in section 232.70.

3. a. For the purposes of this subsection, "licensing board" means a board designated in section 147. 13, the board of educational examiners created in section 272.2, or a licensing board as defined in section 272C.1.

b. A person required to make a report under subsection 1, other than a physician whose professional practice does not regularly involve providing primary health care to children, shall complete two hours of training relating to the identification and reporting of child abuse within six months of initial employment or self-employment involving the examination, attending, counseling, or treatment of children on a regular basis. Within one month of initial employment or self-employment, the person shall obtain a statement of the abuse reporting requirements from the person's employer or, if self-employed, from the department. The person shall complete at least two hours of additional child abuse identification and reporting training every five years.

c. If the person is an employee of a hospital or similar institution, or of a public or private institution, agency, or facility, the employer shall be responsible for providing the child abuse identification and reporting training. If the person is self-employed, employed in a licensed or certified profession, or employed by a facility or program that is subject to licensure, regulation, or approval by a state agency, the person shall obtain the child abuse identification and reporting training as provided in paragraph "d".

d. The person may complete the initial or additional training requirements as part of any of the following that are applicable to the person:

(1) A continuing education program required under chapter 272C and approved by the appropriate licensing board.

(2) A training program using a curriculum approved by the abuse education review panel established by the director of public health pursuant to section 135.11.

(3) A training program using such an approved curriculum offered by the department of human services, the department of education, an area education agency, a school district, the Iowa law enforcement academy, or a similar public agency.

e. A licensing board with authority over the license of a person required to make a report under subsection 1 shall require as a condition of licensure that the person is in compliance with the requirements for abuse training under this subsection. The licensing board shall require the person upon licensure renewal to accurately document for the licensing board the person's completion of the training requirements. However, the licensing board may adopt rules providing for waiver or suspension of the compliance requirements, if the waiver or suspension is in the public interest, applicable to a person who is engaged in active duty in the military service of this state or of the United States, to a person for whom compliance with the training requirements would impose a significant hardship, or to a person who is practicing a licensed profession outside this state or is otherwise subject to circumstances that would preclude the person from encountering child abuse in this state.

f. For persons required to make a report under subsection 1 who are not engaged in a licensed profession that is subject to the authority of a licensing board but are employed by a facility or program subject to licensure, registration, or approval by a state agency, the agency shall require as a condition of renewal of the facility's or program's licensure, registration, or approval, that such persons employed by the facility or program are in compliance with the training requirements of this subsection.

g. For peace officers, the elected or appointed official designated as the head of the agency employing the peace officer shall ensure compliance with the training requirements of this subsection.

h. For persons required to make a report under subsection 1 who are employees of state departments and political subdivisions of the state, the department director or the chief administrator of the political subdivision shall ensure the persons' compliance with the training requirements of this subsection.