Children's Services Division

Mandated Reporters

Report Suspected Child Abuse

Under the California Penal Code 11166 persons in designated professional occupations are mandated to report suspected child abuse or neglect.

"Mandated reporter" is defined as any of the following:

1. A teacher

2. An instructional aid

3. A teacher's aid or teacher's assistant employed by any public or private school

4. A classified employee of any public school

5. An administrative officer or supervisor of child welfare and attendance, or a certified pupil personnel employee of any public or private school

6. An administrator of a public or private day camp

7. An administrator or employee of a public or private youth center, youth recreation program, or youth organization

8. An administrator or employee of public or private organization whose duties require direct contact and supervision of children

9. Any employee of a county office of education or the California Department of Education, whose duties bring the employee into contact with children on a regular basis

10. A licensee, an administrator, or an employee of a licensed community care or child day care facility

11. A Head Start teacher

12. A licensing social worker or licensing evaluator employed by a licensing agency as defined in Section 11165.11

13. A public assistance worker

14. An employee of a child care institution, including, but not limited to, foster parents, group home personnel, and personnel of residential care facilities

15. A social worker, probation officer, or parole officer

16. An employee of a school district police or security department

17. Any person who is an administrator or presenter of, or a counselor in, a child abuse prevention program in any public or private school

18. A district attorney investigator, inspector, or family support officer unless the investigator, inspector, or office is working with an attorney appointed pursuant to section 317 of the Welfare and Institutions Code to represent a minor

19. A peace officer, as defined in Chapter 4.5 (commencing with Section 830) of Title 3 of Part 2, who is not otherwise described in this section

20. A firefighter, except for voluntary firefighters

21. A physician, surgeon, psychiatrist, psychologist, dentist, resident, intern, podiatrist, chiropractor, licensed nurse, dental hygienist, optometrist, marriage, family and child counselor, clinical social worker, or any other person who is currently licensed under Division 2 (commencing with Section 500) of the Business and Professions Code

22. Any emergency medical technician I or II, paramedic, or other person certified pursuant to Division 2.5 (commencing with Section 1797) of the Health and Safety Code

23. A psychological assistant registered pursuant to Section 2913 of the Business and Professions Code

24. A marriage, family and child therapist trainee, as defined in subdivision (c) of Section 4980.03 of the Business and Professions Code

25. An unlicensed marriage, family, and child therapist intern registered under section 4980.44 of the Business and Profession Code

26. A state or county public health employee who treats a minor for venereal disease or any other condition

27. A coroner

28. A medical examiner, or any other person who performs autopsies

29. A commercial film or photographic print processor, as specified in subdivision (e) of Section 11166. As used in this article "commercial film and photographic print processor" means any person who develops exposed photographic film into negatives, slides, or prints, or who makes prints from negatives or slides, for compensation. The term includes any employee of such as person; it does not include a person who develops film or makes prints for a public agency

30. A child visitation monitor. As used in this article, "child visitation monitor" means any person who, for financial compensation, acts as monitor of a visit between a child and any other person when the monitoring of that visit has been ordered by a court of law

31. An animal control officer or humane society officer. For the purposes of this article, the following terms have the following meanings: (A) "Animal control officer" means any person employed by a city, county, or city and county for the purpose of enforcing animal control laws or regulations. (B) Humane society officer" means any person appointed or employed by a public or private entity as a humane officer who is qualified pursuant to Section 14502 or 14503 of the Corporations Code

32. A clergy member, as specified in subdivision (c) of Section 11166. As used in this article, "clergy member" means a priest, minister, rabbi, religious practitioner, or similar functionary of a church, temple, or recognized denomination or organization

33. Any employee of any police department, county sheriff's department, county probation department, or county welfare department. (b) Volunteers of public or private organizations whose duties require direct contact and supervision of children are encouraged to obtain training in the identification and reporting of the child abuse. (c) Training in the duties imposed by this article shall include training in child abuse identification and training in child abuse reporting. As part of of that training, school districts shall provide to employees being trained a written copy of the reporting requirements and a written disclosure of the employees' confidentiality rights. (d) School districts that do not train the employees specified in subdivision (a) in the duties of child custodians under the child abuse reporting laws shall report to the State Department of Education the reasons why this training is not provided. (e) The absence of training shall not excuse a mandated reporter from the duties imposed by this article.