{"report_id":363,"form_id":"22","user_id":71,"organization_id":13,"question_id":"319","question_type":"Free_Text","text_answer":"Law Enforcement (LE) not cross reporting to CPS after the critical incident was influenced by the unique processes and role of LE, access to mandated reporter training and circumstances regarding the incident. LE shared that child's condition was initially called out as a medical concern and after being notified by hospital staff that they were unsuccessful in life-saving efforts, the case became a child death investigation. When this occurs, this becomes the priority for the LE agency and the focus becomes finding justice, not the more nuanced job duties such as cross-reporting that are much lower priority. Additionally, there are organizational processes within LE regarding cross-reports being made. The process typically goes through several staff (i.e., officer to sergeant to administrative support staff) in order to get the cross-report made. The LE agency's administration makes the final determination on whether to cross-report to CPS. Since this reporting process starts with the responding officer(s), the officer's perception of the situation also influences whether a cross-report is made. In this case, the officer was unsure of the origin of the child's injuries (appeared to be an accident), the child was not being cared for by a parent at the time of the incident and the officer did not want to cause additional trauma to the family by potentially initiating a CPS response by cross-reporting in error. All circumstances that impacted a CP report being made. Also, it was believed by LE that they had mitigated risk to other children by informing the families not to bring their kids back to the unlicensed daycare. Furthermore, unlicensed daycare homes such as this one receive less oversight and direction by the state for when incidents like this one occur. For example, there is not a requirement to notify CPS or licensing of the critical incident. As a result, this limited oversight further impacts reports not being made when incidents occur in unlicensed daycare homes.  \r\n\r\nFurther impacting cross-reporting not occurring are the complexities of how\/when to report suspected child abuse and neglect as well as general access to that mandated reporter training to accurately understand reporting requirements. Also, nuances in the mandated reporter statute (MN statute 626.556) results in a lack of clarity in mandated reporting rules creating inconsistent reporting practices. This, coupled with accessibility to training, impacts cross-reporting to CPS. Additionally, local CPS agencies provide the mandated reporter training to local partners when it is requested. Due to the need to complete daily CPS duties, the added requirement to provide mandated reporter training creates additional demands on local agencies. Since agencies do not have the resources to provide the mandated reporter training it is difficult to provide any type of ongoing training for those local partners. \r\n\r\nAdditionally in these cases, the demographics of families, and biases associated with those demographics, may result in cross-reports not being made. In this case, other mandated reporters, such as hospital and medical examiner's office, also did not cross-report the child's condition to CPS.","created_by":71,"updated_by":71,"updated_at":"6\/1\/2021 2:08:03 pm","created_at":"6\/1\/2021 2:08:03 pm","id":43321}