The child welfare concerns policy, as addressed in the Putnam County Board of Education handbook, are that teachers should file a report as soon as they suspect concerns. The report should then be filed to DCS. The report should include: 1. name, address, and age of the child 2. The name and address of the parents or persons having custody of the child 3. The nature and extent of the abuse or neglect 4. Any evidence to the cause or any other information that may relate to the cause or extent of the abuse or neglect.

Like Putnam County, the state of Tennessee also requires that the teachers file a report. This also gets reported to DCS. Both Putnam County and the state of Tennessee have comparable requirements for teachers who suspect child welfare concerns.

As a future classroom teacher, it will be imperative for me to notice little details about all of my students so I can be 100% positive that they are unsafe and have welfare concerns before filing a report. However, I also must be proactive and start the report immediately after noticing welfare issues with the student(s).