Custom Class: header-wrapper

Custom Class: header-breadcrumb

Child Safety and Support

Mandatory Child Abuse Reporting

Florida law requires that all school personnel immediately report to the Department of Children and Families (DCF) any knowledge or reasonable cause to suspect that a child has been abused, neglected, or abandoned. An employee’s failure to report cases of misconduct or abuse carries a penalty up to and including termination. Protection for those who report abuse are described in Florida Statutes 39.203 and 768.095.

Any person who knows, or has reasonable cause to suspect, that a child is abused, abandoned, or neglected by a parent, legal custodian, caregiver, or other person responsible for the child's welfare is a mandatory reporter per s, 39.201(1)(a), Florida Statutes (F.S.). The Florida Abuse Hotline 1-800-96-ABUSE (1-800-962-2873) accepts reports 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

If the information meets the criteria for an abuse report to be accepted, the report is assigned to the local child protective investigation unit. All child protective investigations are conducted by the Department.

Reporting Educator Misconduct

All Saint Paul’s employees have an obligation and legal responsibility to report misconduct by instructional personnel and school administrators which affects the health, safety or welfare of a student. Failure to report misconduct may result in penalties up to termination of employment and revocation of an educator’s certificate.

Any such misconduct should be reported to Carol Ann Martin, Director of Finance and Operations at 727-536-2756 or cmartin@spsclearwater.org.