How to Report Suspected Child Abuse or Neglect

If you suspect that a child is being abused or 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 jurisdiction over these matters, and has specific laws and procedures for reporting and investigating. In some States, all citizens are mandated reporters by State law and must report any suspicion of child abuse or neglect.

Listed below are the toll free numbers for the States that have them available. 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.

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