
Making the Tough Call
By Kathryn Krase

Making the Tough CallDec 20, 2022

Am I always a mandated reporter?
Mandated reporters struggle with understanding when they are required to make reports to child protective services. This explores explores when mandated reporters are required to make reports to CPS, and when they might not.

Am I required to report suspicions of past child abuse?
This episode explores whether mandated reporters are required to make reports of suspected child abuse that occurred many years ago.

Do I have to report parental drug use to CPS?
Concerns about the impact of parental substance use disorders on children are understandable. However, the obligation of mandated reporters to bring their concerns to the attention of child protective services (CPS) is not always so clear cut. This episode explores assumptions professionals make about parental substance use, and encourages mandated reporters to think about their concerns differently when considering if they are required to make a report to CPS.

Should Reports to CPS be Required? Maybe not...
This podcast explores the question whether professionals should be required to make reports to child protective services. Maybe the answer isn't as easy to discern as you might think.

Requirements for Mandated Reporter Training
This podcast episode explores the laws around the obligation of mandated reporters and their employers to complete training on their obligations to report suspected child maltreatment.

Unsubstantiated Reports to CPS: How Can We Prevent Them?
This episode explains what "unsubstantiated" reports to CPS mean, and how mandated reporters can prevent making unnecessary reports of suspected child maltreatment.

When is Spanking Considered Child Abuse? And Why?
In this podcast episode, we explore corporal punishment, and when the behavior is considered child abuse. We look at law in the US, and internationally. We use research to understand the present context, and to forecast changes to policy in the future. This episode is helpful for professional reporters of child maltreatment who struggle with when corporal punishment in abuse.

Unsupervised Children: Parenting Choice? or Child Maltreatment?
Have you ever wondered if a child should be left alone? This podcast introduces some of the concepts to consider.

Mandated Reporting & Autonomy
This episode of Making the Tough Call explores the impact that the legal and ethical obligations held by "mandated reporters" has on personal and professional autonomy. When the law requires certain professionals to make reports to child protective services (CPS) the autonomy of parents and professionals is limited. Learn more about mandated reporting, parental autonomy and professional autonomy, through this 10 minute podcast episode. For more information, including resources, blogs and other podcast episodes, check out the Making the Tough Call website.