Child Abuse Resources and Education (CARE) Program
The Child Abuse Resource and Education (CARE) Program at Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital works to make sure that all children who enter our doors are safe and healthy. From the moment a child enters the doors at Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital, we make their experience as comfortable as possible. CARE team includes specialists from the Center of Hope and Child Abuse Pediatrics. These professionals are specially trained to work with children who have experienced abuse and neglect. We take the time to listen to the child and explain what is happening in a way they can understand with the assistance of our certified child life specialist. If any of our doctors, nurses or care teams suspect that a child has been or may experience abuse or neglect, we must report it by law.
The CARE team at Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis provides physical and emotional health assessments for all types of child maltreatment, including:
- Physical abuse
- Sexual abuse
- Medical abuse
- Emotional abuse
- Neglect
When necessary, we collaborate with appropriate authorities.
Working with partners in the community to help keep children safe
Children who are referred to the CARE Program have an entire team dedicated to their safety and well-being. This team includes pediatric emergency care doctors, nurses, mental health specialists, child life specialists, social workers, law enforcement officers, child protection services and other legal professionals. The team works together to quickly identify signs of child abuse or neglect. Then, we create a care plan that addresses the child's physical and emotional health. We also work with authorities in the community to prevent future child abuse and neglect.
The CARE team provides:
- Emergency care and lab testing
- Physical and emotional evaluations
- Coordination with law enforcement, child protection services and other legal professionals
- Counseling and mental health care
- Educational information for families and caregivers
Reporting child abuse and neglect
At Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital, we all take abuse and neglect of children seriously – identifying and reporting it proactively. As a healthcare provider in Indianapolis, our doctors, nurses and care teams are required by law to report suspected abuse within 48 hours of first suspecting that a child has been or may be abused or neglected.
How to refer a child to the CARE team
If you have questions or need to refer a child to the CARE team, please call 317-338-3153.
Other resources include:
Child Abuse Pediatrics, 317-338-3153
Center of Hope, 317-338-1956
At Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital, the forensic nursing team at the Center of Hope provides comprehensive care to victims of violence, and provides medical forensic examinations and collects evidence for survivors of crime of all ages. We work as a sexual assault response team (SART) along with the hospital social worker, doctors, law enforcement, department of child services, adult protective services, attorneys, and advocacy agencies, and provide Child Abuse Pediatrics services after hours. We maintain the chain of custody and provide fact and expert testimony. We focus on the child’s physical and emotional health and well-being.
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The Center of Hope: About the forensic nursing team
The Center of Hope is a specialized group of nurses who provide comprehensive care to victims of violence, offering medical forensic exams, all while placing medical well-being as the priority. The forensic nurses see patients at Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital who are survivors of crimes such as:
- Acute sexual assault (within 120 hours)
- Domestic/ Family violence
- Strangulation
- Physical assault
- Aggravated assault-gunshot wounds, stabbings
- Human trafficking
- MVCs/ vehicular victimization
- Dog bites
Our team provides medical forensic examinations for survivors of crime of all age populations.
- Collect evidence such as DNA, clothing, specimens for toxicology, photography, history of incident
- STI testing and prophylaxis
- Maintain chain of custody
- Fact and expert testimony
- Provide after-hours services for Child Abuse Pediatrics
Forensic nurses work as a sexual assault response team (SART) along with the hospital social worker, doctors, law enforcement, department of child services, adult protective services, attorneys and advocacy agencies, etc. to provide service to survivors.