Every child suspected of being sexually abused needs access to a skilled medical provider. Yet, many areas of New York State (NYS) do not have an adequate number of medical professionals who are trained in evaluating children suspected of sexual abuse and collecting forensic evidence.
In addition, the standard of care for child sexual abuse victims is ill defined in NYS.
The State of New York Department of Health (DOH) recommends the use of Sexual Assault Forensic Examiners (SAFE) and Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE) for adult victims of sexual assault in all hospitals to ensure meeting the standards for comprehensive and high quality care, collection of forensic evidence and respectful and sensitive treatment; however, the training of SAFE/SANE practitioners does not include specific instruction for how to perform a pediatric examination or care for a victim of child abuse.
The number of certified SAFE/SANEs in the state presents a potential pool of medical providers that could be trained to expand the delivery of pediatric care in New York; however, little information is available about the number of SAFE/SANEs serving children, where they practice, what training they have received, what standards are guiding their evaluations and treatment, how they collaborate with other medical professionals and what resources are available to them.
With funding from the NYS Department of Health, the CHAMP Program convened a SAFE/SANE Task Force in November, 2006 to review the current status of SAFE/SANE Training and Practice Related To Pediatric Sexual Assault Cases.
