Based on feedback from community partners and subject matter experts, the Training Academy will soon release an updated Mandated Reporter Training. In this new update, reporters will learn more about why making a decision to report is very serious and that reporting should never be done without applying critical thinking skills. Mandated Reporter Training is designed to help reporters understand both when to report, including education about signs of abuse, and how to think critically about the decision to report.

Reporters should continue to access Mandated Reporter Training on the Training Academy’s website. The current version of this training launched in late 2022 , and has received positive feedback from numerous learners. One individual commented that, “I just took the mandated reporter training, and have taken it every year forever, and this is by far the best one I have taken. I really appreciate the focus on bias in reporting and specific steps to combat racial bias in child welfare. Well done!”

Since the launch of the current training, we have continued to evaluate the curriculum and listen to our learners. For example, our learners helped pinpoint language that was somewhat vague or lacked specific answers. Our Curriculum Developers are revising language, removing some unnecessary examples, and providing a clearer path to understanding the expectations. Our hope is to maintain a high quality training that helps Mandated Reporters to make accurate and unbiased assessments, to provide the necessary information needed to make good decisions, and to best protect vulnerable children.

The update to this training will take place on Wednesday, November 20 at 10:00 a.m. Learners who have started but not yet finished the training will likely need to return to our Mandated Reporter Training page (mnchildwelfaretraining.com/mrt), refresh their browser, and start from the beginning.

We encourage all Mandated Reporters in Minnesota to complete this training regularly, especially if it has been a year or more. The self-paced training only takes 45 minutes, is offered at no-cost, and offers a proof of completion certificate at the end (child protection workers will also find it on their training record). We hope the updated training provides a good learning experience, and helps Mandated Reporters be more confident in their role. We welcome your questions and feedback anytime at info@mnchildwelfaretraining.com.