Wallace said she believes the CARE Act wouldn’t have the same impact as the Pennsylvania legislation, which increased penalties for failing to report and broadened the definition of abuse. Pennsylvania also expanded its list of mandated reporters in 2014, but clergy were already included.
“Obviously, we never want to change the law to exacerbate systemic racism that already exists. But I don’t think that this bill would do that,” said Wallace. “I’m just seeking to add clergy to a list that already exists.”
Nye noted that the Pennsylvania laws’ expanded definition of neglect can in some cases “be used to target families for their poverty rather than for actual child abuse.”
RELATED: Are Pastors Mandated Reporters Regarding Child Abuse?
While CFCtoo doesn’t view the CARE Act as a cure-all, the group still sees it as necessary. Nye added that at the Christian Fellowship Center, which has a significant home-schooled population, many children don’t have regular contact with other forms of mandated reporters.
“I would rather see a state government devote resources to training mandated reporters than to abolish mandated reporting altogether,” said Nye. “We should not need a law like this. Clergy have a moral responsibility to do this anyway. And it’s their moral failure that even requires us to have a bill like this.”
This article originally appeared here.
