Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act (CANRA)

I. Summary

In accordance with the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act (CANRA), codified at California Penal Code §§ 11164-11174.3, the University of California CANRA Policy requires all employees and volunteers who are Mandated Reporters who observe, have actual knowledge of, or reasonably suspect child or elder/dependent abuse or neglect at a University facility or perpetrated by University personnel to immediately report the concern to appropriate external and internal entities.

II. Process Overview

Identification of Mandated Reporters

Mandated Reporter: A University Employee, Official, or Volunteer who is required under the Act due to their licensure or profession, or otherwise by virtue of their University position or activities, to report child abuse and neglect to specified authorities. (See Appendix A and Appendix B-1 of UC CANRA Policy).
Unit/Department submits job description to applicable office below to assess whether the position should be designated a Mandated Reporter:
- Staff positions: Staff Human Resources Compensation/Classification Team
- Academic positions: Academic Personnel Recruitment Team
- Volunteer positions: Risk Services
Applicable Office uses policy language to assist with identifying positions that have duties which may require regular and direct contact with minors, or which have been predefined. (See Predefined Mandated Reporters).
In addition to those already designated as Mandated Reporters, Units/Departments may identify other positions as Mandated Reporters.

Note: Separate from CANRA, California Penal Code requires that any person, whether or not identified as a Mandated Reporter, who reasonably believes he or she has observed a murder, rape, or certain lewd or lascivious acts where the victim is a child under the age of 14 years is required to notify a peace officer of the potential crime. Failure to do so may result in criminal penalties.

Acknowledgement of Rights and Responsibilities

Employees who are newly hired into positions which are designated as Mandated Reporters shall complete the electronic attestation form contained in the required training (see below). Units with employees without regular electronic access should consult with their ER Analyst and/or Talent Acquisition Consultant.
Employees whose responsibilities now include designation as Mandated Reporters, through either an update to job description or reclassification, must sign the acknowledgement of accepting these duties at time of signing the updated job description. (see Appendix B of UC CANRA Policy).
Employee acknowledgment forms shall be retained in the personnel file. Academic Appointee acknowledgement forms shall be sent to and retained in the Academic Personnel Office. Student acknowledgement forms shall be sent to and retained in the Central Payroll Office in Financial Affairs.

Training

In accordance with the University of California Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect Policy, any UC Santa Cruz employee who has been identified as a Mandated Reporter is required to complete training in the identification and reporting of suspected child abuse and/or neglect.
Employees will be notified of the training requirement via email from LearningCenter@ucsc.edu.
After receiving notification, employees will access the CANRA e-course through the UCSC Learning Center by searching for “CANRA” in the “Find a Course” tab. It can also be found in the Library in “UC Policies & Operations” or “UC Systemwide Compliance.” **IMPORTANT: Only training accessed through the link provided in the UCSC Learning Center email fulfills the training requirement.
View supplemental training offerings through the UCSC Office of Risk Services at Minors Protections Program.

Note: Mandated Reporters must comply with the duties imposed by the Act whether or not they have received training from the University or any third party.

Reporting Suspected Abuse or Neglect

Mandated Reporters who observe, have direct knowledge of, or have a Reasonable Suspicion of child abuse or neglect must fulfill both External (CANRA) and Internal (UC CANRA Policy) reporting obligations as set forth below. Be advised that Mandated Reporters are NOT responsible for proving abuse or neglect, and “certainty” is not required of the mandated reporter to proceed if they have genuine concerns. Mandated Reporters are only responsible for the timely reporting of reasonable suspicion or direct knowledge or observation to the appropriate authorities.

Mandated Reporters must make two reports. These reports include making one external report (first, the required phone call to law enforcement or CPS, and then the submission of SCAR form to CPS), and one internal report via the Whistleblower portal. The following procedures will ensure that minors are protected pursuant to CANRA and University policy:

IMMEDIATELY REPORT THE INCIDENT TO THE APPROPRIATE POLICE DEPARTMENT OR COUNTY OFFICE BY PHONE (within 24 hours)
- Pursuant to CANRA, you must report the incident or cause for concern to the appropriate County Child Abuse unit within 24 hours by phone.
- Immediately call to report the incident to: 1) the local Police Department (or UCSC Police Department if incident occurred on campus); or 2) the appropriate County Child Abuse (Child Protection Services [“CPS”]) Hotline. Refer to the UCSC Contact List of Local Authorities for Police Departments and CPS Hotline phone numbers
- Before hanging up with the Local Police Officer or CPS case worker, make sure to obtain the following information (which will be needed to complete the reporting steps below):
  - The appropriate fax number and/or CPS email address to be used when sending the Suspected Child Abuse Report (SCAR) Form SS-8572 (Rev. 04/2017);
  - The “incident report number” (or Case Number); and,
  - The name and title of the agency/social worker with whom you are speaking.
CONTACT YOUR SUPERVISOR AND DOCUMENT A SUMMARY OF INCIDENT
- You are encouraged, but not required, to contact your supervisor to inform them of the incident or the circumstances that led to your suspicion of child abuse or neglect.
- Your supervisor will be able to support you through the reporting process and can provide guidance as needed.
- No supervisor, administrator, or other Official may impede or inhibit a Mandated Reporter’s duties, nor impose any sanction on any person making a good-faith report under the Act or under this Policy. Retaliation against any good-faith reporter will be handled under the University’s regular whistleblower protection policy.
SUBMIT A WRITTEN REPORT TO THE APPROPRIATE COUNTY OFFICE BY ENCRYPTED EMAIL OR BY FAX (within 36 hours)
- Pursuant to CANRA, you must use, complete and submit the Suspected Child Abuse Report (SCAR) Form SS-8572 (Rev. 04/2017) within 36 hours to the appropriate [county] CPS Office.
  - Be sure to include the “incident report number” (or Case Number), and the name of the social worker with whom you spoke when you reported by phone.
  - The identity of the Mandated Reporter must be disclosed on the SCAR Form – one cannot complete and submit the form anonymously.
  - The external CANRA reporting requirement is not complete until the SCAR form is submitted by the Mandated Reporter and received by the County office.
- As the information on the SCAR Form is highly confidential, only submit the SCAR Form via a) encrypted email (such as Virtru, UCSC’s secure email add-on), or b) via fax (the most secure method of delivery). Please refer to the Contact List of Local Authorities for CPS fax numbers and/or email addresses.
  - Submission via encrypted email. Only two local counties provide an option to submit the SCAR Form via email – Santa Cruz County, and Santa Clara County. If you do not have access to a fax machine, you may email the form from your UCSC email account using an encryption add-on. UCSC’s preferred encryption add-on is Virtru. Please find UCSC ITS’s information on how to install and use Virtru here: https://its.ucsc.edu/services/information-security/secure-computing/email-and-file-encryption-virtru/. If you are submitting the SCAR Form via encrypted email, please note the following:
    - Double check the spelling of the CPS email address you are sending to;
    - Request a reply email confirming receipt
    - Immediately after emailing the SCAR form, call the appropriate CPS office to inform them that you just submitted a SCAR Form via encrypted email, and request a reply email confirming receipt.
  - Submission via fax (facsimile). Fax is the most common secure delivery method. If you are submitting the SCAR Form via fax, please note the following:
    - Make sure to send it from a non-public place, such as a local police station or a school/administration office – do NOT fax the SCAR Form from a public space: e.g. library, Fedex Office, etc.
    - Double check the CPS fax number before sending
    - Save the “fax report” as proof of delivery, in a secure location
    - Immediately after the fax has “gone through,” call the appropriate CPS office to inform them that you just submitted a SCAR Form via fax, and ask that they confirm receipt.
  - If you are unable to submit the SCAR Form via encrypted email or fax, you may contact the UCSC Office of Risk Services for assistance.
    - To obtain assistance from the Office of Risk Services, you will need immediate access to the following:
      - your UCSC email account
      - a saved PDF of your completed SCAR from
      - a phone number where you can be reached
    - Begin by emailing the Office of Risk Services at risk@ucsc.edu, from your UCSC email account, noting the following:
      - the subject line must include “URGENT – CONFIDENTIAL – SCAR form submission assistance requested”
      - include a phone number where you can be reached
    - The Office of Risk Services will respond to your email and then call you to provide further immediate instructions
      - Be advised that Risk Services may not be able to immediately respond to your request for assistance – as a Mandated Reporter, it is your responsibility to submit the SCAR form within 36 hours.
- If you are notified of an incident (or otherwise have a reasonable suspicion of child abuse or neglect) on a Friday, then you must submit a SCAR Form that same day since the 36-hour window will expire over the weekend.
MAKE AN INTERNAL UC REPORT OF THE INCIDENT
- Pursuant to UC CANRA Policy, all Mandated Reporters who are required to file an external report, must also file an internal report to either their supervisors or through the University of California Compliance Hotline (by phone: 1-800-403-4744; or online at Whistleblower Hotline).
  - If reported to a supervisor, the supervisor must make the report to the University of California Whistleblower Hotline.
- In addition to providing confidential details of the incident, the Mandated Reporter should include the following in their internal report:
  - a brief description of all previous reporting steps that were completed, noting:
    - names, titles, and contact information of authorities that have been contacted
    - CPS incident number(s) and/or police investigation number(s) related to the incident
    - the reporter’s name and contact information (for follow-up outreach by the University)
    - Attach the SCAR form and the email you received confirming receipt of the SCAR form or the fax report confirming the SCAR form has been sent
- If you are not a mandated reporter, this internal report may be anonymous; however, providing contact information may expedite the University’s ability to follow-up on the report.

Please take note:

This internal reporting requirement applies to all Mandated Reporters, including Faculty and Staff Assistance Programs, clinicians or staff and victim advocates employed by or volunteering in the Center for Advocacy, Resources & Empowerment (CARE) when providing counseling services or in any other aspect of their employment.
Mandated Reporters at UC Santa Cruz Early Education Services, or Student Health Center, who observe or suspect child abuse or neglect must also comply with any internal reporting regulations set forth in the facilities’ local by‐laws and policies.
The UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment (SVSH) Policy requires all employees to inform the Title IX Office of any report of sexual harassment or sexual violence they receive from anyone affiliated with the University. If sexual abuse, sexual harassment, or sexual assault of a minor is suspected, any Mandated Reporter affiliated with the University should promptly contact and file a report with the UCSC Title IX Office using this online reporting link or by calling (831) 459-2462. Reporting to Title IX does NOT fulfill your CANRA reporting obligations as a mandated reporter. If you are also required to report to Title IX, include the SCAR form and confirmation of receipt as attachments with your report.

III. Related Policy, Articles and References

IV. Forms/Resources

UC Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect Policy (Rev. 1/1/2021)

UCSC’s CANRA Reporting Packet

UCSC’s CANRA Contact List of Local Authorities

UCSC CANRA Decision Tree

UCSC SHR Predefined Mandated Reporters

UC Learning Center

PENAL CODE SECTION 11164-11174.3 – Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act

S.534 – Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act of 2017

Who Should Report Child Abuse (Human Resources Department, Santa Cruz County)

Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect – California (Child Welfare Information Gateway)

Suspected Child Abuse Report (SCAR) Form SS-8572 (Rev. 04/2017);

Informe Sobre Sospecha de Abuso Infantil (SCAR, SS-8572, en Español)