The need for change in the mandated reporting system is evidenced in the large volume of reports to child protection hotlines each year that ultimately end up being screened out, unsubstantiated, or included as allegations of general neglect only. The negative impact of overreporting is most significant for Black/African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Latino/a children and families who are disproportionately represented in these reports, and in the child welfare system overall.
On March 13, 2023, the California Child Welfare Council (CWC) unanimously approved a set of Community Pathway Recommendations with the following goals:
1. Reform the state’s mandated reporting system so children and families are safely supported in their communities. You may start to hear about this as Mandated Reporting to Community Supporting.
2. Build strong and connected community supports that understand, connect to, and enhance the natural strengths of every family. You may start to hear about this as Building a Community Pathway.
Achieving these two goals requires working side-by-side with individuals and families with lived experience and expertise to transform current mandated reporting practices and policies, build community support networks, and equip mandated reporters with tools and information to change their practices.
What’s Next and How You Can Join!
We acknowledge the urgency for change and we seek to partner with individuals and groups who have proximity to the mandated reporter system through their personal and/or professional experience and expertise. Our goal is to inform and advance this work with those most impacted by the current system, and those who have the greatest ability to change it.
The next step is to build out the MRCS Task Force and subcommittee membership. To do this we will launch an application process in mid-July. If you are interested in participating on the MRCS Task Force, or one of its subcommittees, please complete the application that will be coming out in mid-July. There will be a three week period to complete the application, and members will be selected before the end of August.
We are committed to engaging an active and expert group of people who share our passion for seizing this historical moment to reform the mandated reporting system and safely narrow the front door to child welfare.