Assignment Outline
Purpose: Why am I doing this assignment?
As early childhood educators, we have a responsibility toward all the children in
our care. We are bound by the Child, Youth and Family Service Act of 2017 to
report child abuse or suspicion or risk of harm toward children. Your duty to
report overrides confidentiality and you could be held responsible in the event
of serious harm to a child if you knowingly did not report abuse or suspicion of
abuse to the Children’s Aid Society. Additionally, failure to report can lead to
continued abuse or even the death of a child. Caring for children is paramount
to your role, so your understanding of your duty to report is vital.
Learning Outcomes:
• explain how Registered Early Childhood Educators show compliance with
the 2017 Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice
• recognize the indicators of child abuse and neglect and describe the
appropriate actions for reporting
• practice a variety of techniques for record keeping and for
communicating professionally
Instructions: What do I need to do?
You will be learning about, and reflecting on, your duty to report child abuse
and suspected abuse. You will create a document (Word or a Google Doc)
which includes several parts. Be sure to complete all parts of this assignment.
Step 1
Read the Duty to Report case scenario, Scenario: A Duty to Report
Use the below resources to learn more about your role as an early childhood
educator and the importance of the duty to report:
• Read the Duty to Report document,
Professional_Advisory_Duty_to_Report.pdf (college-ece.ca)
• Consider the information in our Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice,
Code_and_Standards_2017.pdf (college-ece.ca)
2
• Review the signs of Child Abuse and Neglect What is abuse? – Ontario
Association of Children’s Aid Societies (oacas.org)
• Review the legal requirements for reporting suspicions of child abuse and
steps in reporting suspicions in child Steps in Reporting Suspicions of Child
Abuse
Step 2: Analysis
Now that you have read Scenario: A Duty to Report and reviewed the resources
listed above, you will reflect on the scenario and your role and responsibilities as
an early childhood educator in relation to child abuse. Be sure to include
support from the resources listed above and remember to cite your sources!
Identify and reflect on the facts of this scenario by responding to the following,
found on page 2 of the Scenario:
1. What ethical and professional responsibilities does Zoë need to consider?
2. What is the role of the supervisor?
3. Did the supervisor uphold or fail to uphold her ethical and professional
responsibilities?
4. What would you have done if Zoë had come to you with the same
concerns?
5. Which resources would you guide her to?
6. What would support your decision-making?
7. How would the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice support Zoë in
managing this situation?
8. Which standards would you review to support you in this situation?
9. What do you know about the Child, Youth and Family Services Act and
your duty to report suspected child abuse and neglect to a Children’s Aid
Society?
Step 3: How to Document Indicators of Child Abuse
Review Appendix 1 (page 8) How to Document Indicators of Child Abuse.
Reflect on your role as an ECE in documenting indicators of child abuse and
answer the questions below. Be sure to include support from the resources listed
above and remember to cite your sources!
1. What is the importance of documenting the facts without providing
personal judgements, opinions, conclusions, or medical/emotional
diagnoses?
2. When providing a clear description of the situation, what information
should be included with the description, and why should it be included?
3. What challenges do you foresee when documenting indicators of child
abuse? How can you overcome them?
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Documenting facts without personal judgments, opinions, conclusions, or medical/emotional diagnoses is important because it ensures that the information recorded is objective and unbiased. This is especially important in situations where the documentation may be used as evidence in legal proceedings. By avoiding personal opinions or diagnoses, the documentation can remain impartial and be relied upon to provide an accurate account of what happened.
When providing a clear description of a situation, it’s important to include relevant information such as the date, time, location, and people involved. Other important details to include could be any actions or behaviors observed, any statements made by individuals involved, and any physical evidence that may be relevant. Including this information can help provide a complete picture of what occurred, which can be important for understanding the situation and making informed decisions.
Documenting indicators of child abuse can present several challenges, such as ensuring the safety and well-being of the child, maintaining confidentiality, and gathering accurate information. It’s important to approach the situation with sensitivity and compassion, while also adhering to legal and ethical guidelines. To overcome these challenges, it may be helpful to work collaboratively with other professionals, such as social workers, counselors, and medical personnel, and to ensure that any documentation is clear, accurate, and objective. Additionally, ongoing training and education can help professionals stay up-to-date on best practices for identifying and responding to child abuse.
Required Elements:
• A title page
• Subtitles to separate sections of the assignment
• A screenshot or Snip of your Certificate of Completion from the Duty to
Report online training. Make this certificate page 2 of your assignment.
• Thoughtful responses, with support from the documents and resources
listed above, to each of the questions outlined in Steps 2 and 3.
• APA citations
• A reference page
Once complete, upload your completed work to Blackboard by March 24, 2023,
at 11:59 pm.
Duty to Report Rubric
Advanced
3 points
Proficient
2 points
Developing
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The assignment is aimed at helping early childhood educators understand their responsibilities in reporting child abuse or suspected abuse. The learning outcomes of the assignment are to explain how Registered Early Childhood Educators show compliance with the 2017 Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice, recognize the indicators of child abuse and neglect, describe the appropriate actions for reporting, and practice various techniques for record-keeping and communicating professionally.
The assignment has three steps. The first step requires students to read the Duty to Report case scenario and review the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice, the signs of child abuse and neglect, and the legal requirements for reporting suspicions of child abuse. In the second step, students are expected to reflect on the scenario and their role as an early childhood educator in relation to child abuse. They are required to identify and reflect on the facts of the scenario and respond to a series of questions related to their ethical and professional responsibilities, the role of the supervisor, the importance of the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice, and the legal requirements for reporting suspected child abuse or neglect. The third step requires students to review Appendix 1, which provides guidance on how to document indicators of child abuse, and answer questions related to documenting facts without providing personal judgments, including necessary information with the description, and overcoming challenges when documenting indicators of child abuse.
The assignment requires students to include a title page, subtitles to separate sections, a screenshot or Snip of their Certificate of Completion from the Duty to Report online training, thoughtful responses with
