What Would You Do? – Mandated Reporter April 2025

Wednesday, April 23rd, 2025

You’re a volunteer at an organization working with young children. After your shift one week, you read an article about mandated reporting. You have heard about this, but you aren’t sure if it applies to you. On the one hand, it seems like the right thing to do. But it also seems a little intimidating. What do you do?

There are a few ways to find out if you are a mandated reporter, and the duties that come with the job. First, you can do an internet search such as “mandated reports in (insert your state).” You’ll be looking for a .gov address, in Missouri, for example, you can go here. On that site, you’ll find relevant laws, who is required to report, how to report and the consequences of not reporting. Another great resource is childwelfare.gov, which has helpful tips and other information.

It is essential that your organization has a process and policy in place for mandated reporting. In the policy, the roles should be defined, as well as specifics of how to report. In many cases, volunteers are considered mandated reporters. It is important to note that anyone can and should report abuse or suspected abuse.