Child Abuse
It is mandatory under South Dakota Law 26-10-10 for school personnel, having reasonable cause to suspect that a child under the age of 18 years has been starved, neglected, has had physical injury or injuries inflicted upon him by abuse or intentional neglect other than by accidental means, or has been subjected to circumstances or conditions which would reasonably result in abuse or neglect, by any person including a parent or other person responsible for his care, shall report or cause reports to be made to the department of Social Services, county sheriff, city police, or state’s attorney. Anyone participating in good faith in the making of a report shall have immunity with respect to participation in any judicial proceeding result from such a report.
If an incident should occur at UCP involving a staff member, the director will take steps to ensure that the incident could not happen again while the investigation is pending.
A staff evaluation will be conducted after the investigation. All UCP members are required to read and sign a statement, which defines child abuse, child neglect, and reporting requirements.