Child Abuse and Maltreatment/Neglect: Identification and Reporting
New York State Mandatory Training

How to Report


Who Are the Mandated Reporters?

Abuse and Maltreatment/Neglect Have Many Presentations

The Disturbing Statistics

Legal Definitions Related to Child Maltreatment

Recognizing Child Abuse

Risk Factors Contributing to Child Abuse and Maltreatment

Protective Factors for Child Abuse and Maltreatment

The Consequences of Child Abuse

Talking with Children

Reporting Child Abuse and Maltreatment

Reasonable Cause/When to Report

What Happens Aftar a Report is Made

The Abandoned Infant Protection Act

Conclusion

Resources

References

Take Test

Exit to Menu





Suspicion of child abuse and maltreatment/neglect must be immediately reported by telephone, at any time of the day, seven days per week.

A written report must be filed within 48 hours of the oral report. Oral telephone reports should be made to the New York State Central Register of Child Abuse and Maltreatment (SCR) by calling the statewide, toll-free telephone number for mandated reporters:

MANDATED REPORTER EXPRESS LINE

1-800-635-1522

General Public: 1-800-342-3720
Outside NY State: 1-518-474-8740

Outside of New York State or Nationally

If you suspect that a child is being abused or maltreated/neglected, you should call your local Child Protective Services (CPS) agency or the CPS agency in the State in which the abuse occurred. As you identify the appropriate agency for making a report, remember the following:

  • Not every State has a toll free hotline, or the hotline may not operate on a 24 hour basis.
  • If a toll free (800 or 888) number is available, it may be accessible only from within that State.

Federal agencies have no authority to intervene in individual child abuse and neglect cases.

Each state has its own procedure for reporting child abuse. A listing of phone numbers for the states that have them is available at http://www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/reslist/rl_dsp.cfm?rs_id=5&rate_chno=11-11172 If a number is not listed, or if you need to report suspected abuse in a State other than your own, please call:

Childhelp® USA National Child Abuse Hotline
1-800-4-A-CHILD® (1-800-422-4453)
TDD: 1-800-2-A-CHILD

Childhelp® USA is a non-profit agency which can provide reporting numbers, and has Hotline counselors who can provide referrals.

New York State-Telephone Reporting

Mandated reporters can prepare themselves to make the report by compiling information needed for the report. While having all of the information needed would be ideal, the mandated reporter should not wait to report just because some of the information is missing. To the extent possible, when calling to report child abuse or maltreatment/neglect, attempt to provide the following information:

Information that must be included in the telephone report:

  • The names and addresses of the child and his/her parents or other person responsible for his/her care;
  • The child's age, gender and race;
  • The nature and extent of the child's injuries, abuse or maltreatment/neglect, including any evidence of prior injuries, abuse or maltreatment of the child or his/her siblings;
  • Is the child at risk for harm? How?
  • The name of the person or persons responsible for causing the injury, abuse, or maltreatment/neglect;
    • Family composition;
  • Where is the child now? Where are siblings now?
  • The source of the report:
    • The person making the report and where s/he can be reached;
  • The actions taken by the reporting source, including the taking of photographs or X-rays, removal or keeping of the child, or notifying the medical examiner or coroner; and
  • Any additional information that might be helpful; for example, are there special needs or medications? What are they? Are there concerns for local CPS such as weapons or drugs in the home?

Written Report

The written report is made on form LDSS-2221A. Download the written report by clicking here.

The written report, signed by the reporter, must be filed with the local child protective service (CPS) within 48 hours of the oral report. You may request the address of the investigative district from the child protective specialist at the time you make the oral report to the State Central Register of Child Abuse and Maltreatment.

A written report that involves a child who is in foster care or in residential care, should be submitted to the New York State Child Abuse and Maltreatment Register, 40 North Pearl Street, Albany, NY 12243. Mandated reporters may wish to maintain additional careful notes for their own personal records, noting important information such as dates, times, places, names of individuals involved in any aspect of the case.

Mandated reporters may wish to maintain additional careful notes for their own personal records, noting important information such as dates, times, places, names of individuals involved in any aspect of the case. For the purpose of reported suspected cases of child abuse and maltreatment/neglect to the SCR and CPS, it is important to understand the definition of who can be the "subject of the report".

The Subject of the report means any

  • Parent
  • Guardian
  • Custodian, or
  • Other person 18 years of age or older who is legally responsible for a child reported to the SCR and who is allegedly responsible for causing - or allowing the infliction of - injury, abuse, or maltreatment/neglect of such child.
  • The operator of, employee of, or volunteer in
    • Residential care staff, such as a home operated or supervised by an authorized agency, the Division for Youth, or an office of the Department of Mental Hygiene; or
    • A family day-care home, day-care center, group family day-care home, or a day services program and who is allegedly responsible for causing - or allowing the infliction of - injury, abuse or maltreatment/neglect to a child who is reported to the SCR.

Abuse and maltreatment/neglect can certainly be caused by persons other than parents or the person who is legally responsible for the child's care, such as neighbors or strangers. Such individuals might not fit the legal definition of the "subject of the report". In these cases, it is the law enforcement authorities that should be contacted directly. If a mandated reporter calls the SCR in a situation in which the person allegedly responsible for the abuse or maltreatment/neglect cannot be the subject of a report, and if the SCR believes that the alleged acts or circumstances described by the mandated reporter may constitute a crime or an immediate threat to the child's health or safety, the SCR is required by law to transmit the information contained in the call to the appropriate law enforcement agency, district attorney or other public official empowered to provide necessary aid or assistance.

Continue on to What Happens After a Report is Made