GOVERNOR ANDREW CUOMO OUR WORK HAS JUST BEGUN |
“Those who work with our children at summer camps are well positioned to notice the signs of child abuse,” Governor Cuomo said. “By requiring camp directors to report suspected child maltreatment wherever it may occur, we are stepping up our fight against child abuse and protecting children across New York State. I thank Senator Martins and Assemblyman Englebright for their work on this much-needed legislation.”
The new law adds camp directors, including those of overnight camps, summer day camps and traveling summer day camps, to the list of persons who are mandated to report known or suspected child abuse or maltreatment to the Statewide Central Register (SCR) maintained by the Office of Children and Family Services. Previously, camp directors were required to report allegations of child abuse only while the child is at the camp. This bill expands the obligation to mandate SCR reports for known or suspected child abuse wherever it may occur and protects camp directors who report suspected maltreatment in good faith from potential civil or criminal liability.
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Assemblyman Steve Englebright said, “Child abuse prevention starts with people speaking up when they suspect mistreatment is occurring. This common sense law extends existing requirements to add camp directors to the list of professionals who interact on a regular basis with our children who are mandated to report suspected abuse. I thank Governor Cuomo for signing this bill and together we will continue to fight for the safety of our children.”