Why we support the CARE Act
What is the CARE Act?
The Child Abuse Reporting Expansion (CARE) Act is a proposed New York State law that eliminates the mandated reporting loophole to include members of the clergy. Senate Bill S1399 and Assembly Bill A888 are currently in committee.
What is a mandated reporter?
A mandated reporter is someone who is required to report known or suspected instances of child abuse and neglect. Health care providers, teachers, daycare workers, and police officers are the most commonly mandated reporters, but many states include a much wider range of professions in their list of mandated reporters. In 18 states, any person who suspects child abuse or neglect is required to report it. New York is not one of those states.
Clergy are already mandated reporters in many states
28 states currently identify clergy as professionals specifically mandated by law to report known or suspected instances of child abuse or neglect. As more states seek to eliminate loopholes that put children at risk, expanding the list of mandated reporters to include clergy is essential.
Requiring clergy to report abuse is good for the North Country
At CFCtoo, we are aware of multiple cases over several decades in which clergy did not report child sexual abuse and the perpetrator went on to molest more people in the community. Clergy provide an essential safeguarding role for all students, but specifically for homeschooled students who do not regularly interact with teachers and other mandated reporters. Requiring clergy to report abuse will help our communities become safer places.
Clergy have a moral obligation to protect people
Clergy have a moral and biblical obligation to protect people, especially vulnerable children. We should not need a law that requires clergy to protect children from predators, but unfortunately, we have seen too many cases in which clergy did not report child sexual abuse. The CARE Act is a step toward addressing that failure.
A step in the right direction is better than no action
While the CARE Act does not go far enough — it still has a large loophole allowing clergy to not report information heard in confession — a step in the right direction is better than no action.
Our goal is a New York state law that requires every person to report suspected child abuse or neglect. The North Country deserves this. Our children deserve this. New York needs to take this first step.
