What are the agency's mandatory incident reporting requirements, and what constitutes a reportable incident?

• A. Report any abuse, neglect, injury, or safety-threatening events to DFPS/appropriate authorities within required timelines; maintain incident records.
• B. Report only injuries that require hospitalization.
• C. Report all events regardless of severity.
• D. Report only upon request.

Answer: (A)

Mandatory reporting ensures child safety by requiring agencies to report suspected abuse or neglect and other safety concerns to the proper authorities within set timelines, and to document each incident. The correct approach includes reporting any abuse, neglect, injury, or safety-threatening event to DFPS or the appropriate authorities within the required timeframes, and keeping thorough incident records. This captures the full scope of what must be reported (not just hospitalizations or minor events) and ties the action to both external accountability and internal recordkeeping. The emphasis is on protecting children by prompt external reporting and on maintaining a complete incident log to support investigations, oversight, and follow-up.