Current through 2024 Legislative Session Act Chapter 531
Section 4163 - Child abuse and child safety awareness, prevention, detection, and reporting(b) Educational programming. - The Child Protection Accountability Commission and the Division of Family Services of the Department of Services for Children, Youth, and Their Families shall identify and maintain educational programming to be used by each school district and charter school for informing school district and charter school employees, students, and parents about personal body safety and child abuse and about how to detect and report child abuse. The Child Protection Accountability Commission and the Division of Family Services of the Department of Services for Children, Youth, and Their Families, in collaboration with the Department of Education, must review the educational programming and trainings under this subsection (b) every 3 years, at a minimum, and update the educational programming and trainings as needed to be relevant to Delaware students and conform with best practices. The educational programming must include all of the following:(1) Training and education for school district and charter school employees that is evidence-based, whenever available, in order to raise awareness of issues regarding personal body safety, child abuse, and child safety. Such training and education must include the warning signs indicating that a child may be a victim of sexual abuse and other forms of child abuse, techniques for responding when child abuse is suspected or disclosed, and the employee's mandatory reporting requirement under § 903 of Tile 16.(2) Evidence-based, whenever available, age-appropriate instruction for students enrolled in grades pre-kindergarten through 6 that is related to personal body safety and sexual abuse and other forms of child abuse. Such instruction shall include information on the difference between appropriate and inappropriate conduct and the actions that a child may take to be protected from sexual abuse and other forms of child abuse. Such instruction shall be designed to build on skills learned the previous year.(3) Information for parents of students enrolled in grades pre-kindergarten through 6 on all of the following:a. Warning signs of a child who is being sexually abused or suffering from other forms of child abuse.b. Effective, age-appropriate methods for discussing personal body safety and sexual abuse and other forms of child abuse with a child.c. Resources for reporting child abuse.d. Counseling and other resources available to a child who has been the victim of child abuse.(c) Role of the Department of Education. - The Department of Education shall provide technical expertise to assist the Child Protection Accountability Commission and the Division of Family Services of the Department of Services for Children, Youth, and Their Families in their identification of educational programming under subsection (b) of this section and the Department of Education shall make a list of the approved educational programing available to each school district and charter school.(d) Implementation of training program. - Each school district and charter school shall implement the educational programming provided under subsection (b) of this section as follows: (1) The educational programing provided under paragraph (b)(1) of this section must be provided to all of its employees as required by § 4162 of this title.(2) The educational programing provided under paragraph (b)(2) of this section must be provided to all students enrolled in grades pre-kindergarten through 6 through health education programs or related classes.(3) The educational programing provided under paragraph (b)(3) of this section must be provided to parents of students enrolled in grades pre-kindergarten through 6 through written materials, available online through the school district's or charter school's website or in hard copy upon a request by parents, on an annual basis and may be provided through live presentations.(e) Notification of parents. - Prior to providing any instruction under paragraph (d)(2) of this section, each school district and charter school shall inform the parent of any student enrolled in grades pre-kindergarten through 6 in writing that the parent may examine and review the educational materials before the materials are taught.(f) Accountability. (1) Each school district and charter school shall designate an individual responsible for overseeing the implementation of the educational programing provided under subsection (b) of this section. Each school district and charter school shall provide the name and contact information for the individual designated under this subsection to the Department of Education no later than November 15 of each year.(2) Each individual designated under paragraph (f)(1) of this section shall report to the Department of Education no later than November 15 of each year how the educational programming has been implemented by that individual's school district or charter school.(3) The Department of Education shall submit a written report to the Governor, the members of the General Assembly, and the Director and the Librarian of the Division of Legislative Services no later than January 15 of each year. The report must include the educational programing provided under subsection (b) of this section and how the curriculum has been implemented by each school district and charter school under subsection (d) of this section.(g)(1) Each school in a school district and each charter school shall post, in a conspicuous location where notices to students are customarily posted, the number for the toll-free telephone report line for child abuse and neglect as established under § 905 of Title 16. The posting must be made in English and Spanish and must be made in a format and language that is clear, simple, and understandable to students.(2) There is no private right of action for a violation of this subsection.(h) Short title. - This section shall be known and may be cited as "Erin's Law".Amended by Laws 2023, ch. 315,s 2, eff. 7/17/2024.Amended by Laws 2023, ch. 255,s 18, eff. 11/6/2024.Amended by Laws 2017 , ch. 122, s 5, eff. 8/9/2017.Added by Laws 2015 , ch. 370, s 1, eff. 8/10/2016.