We’re looking out for children
Protecting the emotional and physical safety and well-being of Girl Scouts is our shared top priority. Your partnership as a volunteer for our Council helps to ensure that Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri (GSEM) is a safe place for all girls.
Under Missouri law, people who are responsible for the care of children are required to report suspicion of child abuse or neglect to the Missouri Department of Social Services Children’s Division. By virtue of our roles, Girl Scout troop volunteers are considered to be mandated reporters. As such, troop volunteers must act as the voice for children who may be experiencing abuse or neglect.
Volunteers must make a report if they or someone else has reasonable cause to suspect that a child has been or may be subjected to abuse or neglect, or observes a child being subjected to conditions or circumstances which would reasonably result in abuse or neglect.
A volunteer who reports a concern is not making an accusation, but simply requesting a professional service to intervene, in accordance with the law. Even if a volunteer is not completely sure if abuse or neglect is occurring, they should report their concerns anyway—always err on the side of the child. All information reported to the Children’s Division, including the identity of the reporter, is kept confidential.
While we hope our troop volunteers will never encounter situations of child abuse or neglect, they must be prepared to take on that responsibility. To that end, troop volunteers are required to complete the Missouri Child Abuse and Neglect Mandated Reporter Training. Course completion will be required biennially for any active volunteer and the course is available in the Content Library in gsLearn.
Course topics include:
- Recognizing signs of child abuse and neglect
- Responsibilities of a mandated reporter in Missouri
- How to respond to disclosures of abuse or neglect without re-traumatizing the child
- Detailed instruction for reporting child abuse or neglect to the Children’s Division
Ways to Report
To report abuse or neglect concerns to the Missouri Department of Social Services Children’s Division, call the 24-hour Missouri Child Abuse and Neglect hotline at 800.392.3738 or follow the nearby link to the online reporting system for non-emergencies.
If a child is in immediate danger, call 911. Mandated reporters may also contact the local police department, but doing so does not relieve them of the legal obligation to report their concern to the Children’s Division.
To receive additional support when reporting potential abuse or neglect, please contact GSEM's Senior Manager, Risk Management at 314.592.2317.
Sexual Abuse, Physical Abuse and Molestation Policy 
Mandatory Volunteer Training
