Child Protection Resources
The SitterTree app was built with trust and safety top of mind. While SitterTree does not provide child care services, all users—including sitters, families and groups—should understand their legal and ethical responsibility when it comes to reporting any reasonable suspicion of child abuse.
Trust & Safety
Defining child abuse
Child abuse is any action (or lack of action) that endangers or harms a child’s physical, psychological or emotional health and development.
Child abuse occurs in different ways, and includes but is not limited to the following:
Physical abuse
Any physical injury to a child that is not accidental, such as beating, shaking, burns, and biting.
Emotional abuse
Emotional injury when a child is not nurtured or provided with love and security, such as an environment of constant criticism, belittling and persistent teasing.
Sexual abuse
Any tricked, forced, manipulated or coerced sexual activity for the pleasure of the abuser. This activity may take place between a child and an adult or between a child and another child at least four years older than the victim. Activities may include: fondling, exhibitionism, intercourse, incest, and pornography.
Neglect
Depriving a child of his or her essential needs, such as adequate food, water, shelter, and medical care as well as putting a child in any situation where his or her safety is at risk, including leaving a child alone or unattended in a home or car or elsewhere.
Resources
Reporting resources
If you—as a parent, guardian or child care provider—have reasonable cause to suspect child abuse, in many states you are required to notify local authorities.
You can learn about your state’s reporting laws and who to contact if you suspect abuse here.
Some states also provide access to free training classes.
Being part of the solution
Understanding your responsibility
Mandatory Reporter
An individual who holds a professional position (i.e. social worker, physician, teacher, child care provider, or counselor) that requires him or her to report to the appropriate state agency cases of child abuse that he or she has reasonable cause to suspect.
Permissive Reporter
An individual who reports child abuse voluntarily
Please note: reporters are protected by law. This means if child abuse is not found, you are not penalized. Also, reporters remain anonymous.
At SitterTree, we encourage you to always report.
Be proactive in preventing abuse
Sitters may earn an optional Sitter Badge for completing Sexual Abuse Prevention Training through Abuse Prevention Systems. We support Abuse Prevention Training’s stance that when sitters ‘learn the facts, they are better able to protect children in their care.’
Note: SitterTree does not provide training to any sitter. All costs are the responsibility of the training participant.
