How to call child protective services

Home | Child Protective Services

Do You Suspect Abuse or Maltreatment?

Report it Now!

Call our Statewide Toll Free Telephone Number:
1-800-342-3720

If you are deaf or hard of hearing, call TDD/TTY at
1-800-638-5163
or have your Video Relay System provider call
1-800-342-3720

If you believe that a child is in immediate danger,
call 911 or your local police department.

The Statewide Central Register of Child Abuse and Maltreatment

The abuse or maltreatment of children is against the law. Victims need an effective child protective service to prevent them from suffering further injury and impairment.

The purpose of the Child Protective Services Act of 1973 is to encourage more complete reporting of child abuse and maltreatment. The law established child protective services (CPS) in each county in New York. Each CPS is required to investigate child abuse and maltreatment reports, to protect children (anyone under 18 years old) from further abuse or maltreatment, and to provide rehabilitative services to children, parents, and other family members involved.

The New York State Office of Children and Family Services maintains the Statewide Central Register of Child Abuse and Maltreatment (SCR, also known as the “hotline”) for reports made pursuant to the Social Services Law.

The SCR receives telephone calls alleging child abuse or maltreatment within New York State. SCR staff relay information from the calls to the local CPS for investigation, monitors their prompt response, and identifies whether there are prior child abuse or maltreatment reports.

The SCR receives calls 24 hours a day, every day from two types of sources: persons who are required by law (mandated) to report suspected cases of child abuse and maltreatment; and calls from non-mandated reporters, including the public.

Among those who are mandated reporters:

Medical and hospital personnel
School officials
Social service workers
Child care workers
Residential care workers and volunteers
Law enforcement personnel

Other mandated reporters are listed in the Summary Guide for Mandated Reporters. This publication provides mandated reporters with an overview of their obligations and a conceptual framework of New York State's child protective services system. The guide is available in the following languages:

English (Pub1159)
Arabic (Pub1159-AR)
Bengali (Pub1159-BN)
Chinese, traditional (Pub1159-TC)
French (Pub1159-FR)
Haitian Creole (Pub1159-HC)
Italian (Pub1159-IT)
Korean (Pub1159-KO)
Polish (Pub1159-PL)
Russian (Pub1159-RU)
Spanish (Pub1159-S)
Urdu (Pub1159-UR)
Yiddish (Pub1159-YI)

Voluntary reporters (for example, neighbors, relatives and concerned citizens) may also use the statewide, toll free number to make reports. If you suspect a child has been harmed or is at risk, please dial 1-800-342-3720, to report what you have seen or heard. You can make a difference.

Child Protective Services/Statewide Central Register Forms

Mandated reporters must file, within 48 hours of an oral report, a signed, written report, Report of Suspected Child Abuse or Maltreatment (LDSS-2221A). This written report is to be filed with the appropriate local CPS. Mandated reporters may request the address of the investigative district from the SCR’s child protective specialist at the time of the oral report to the SCR. LDSS-2221A is available in the following languages:

English (LDSS-2221A)
Bengali (LDSS-2221A-BN)
Chinese, traditional (LDSS-2221A-TC)
Haitian Creole (LDSS-2221A-HC)
Italian (LDSS-2221A-IT)
Korean (LDSS-2221A-KO)
Russian (LDSS-2221A-RU)
Spanish (LDSS-2221A-S)

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How to Report Child Abuse and Neglect

There are ways you can help stop child maltreatment if you suspect or know that a child is being abused or neglected. If you or someone else is in immediate and serious danger, you should call 911.

You may be wondering who can report child abuse and neglect, what information is included in a report, or what happens after a report is made. On this page, find answers to your questions, as well as national and local resources that are available to provide assistance and information about reporting suspected maltreatment.

How do I report suspected child abuse or neglect?

State Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Numbers
Contact your local child protective services office or law enforcement agency.

Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline
Childhelp
Provides information on the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline (Call or text 1.800.4.A.CHILD [1.800.422.4453]). Professional crisis counselors are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in over 170 languages. All calls are confidential. The hotline offers crisis intervention, information, and referrals to thousands of emergency, social service, and support resources.

CyberTipline
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (2022)
Provides information about how to report online sexual exploitation of a child or if you suspect that a child has been inappropriately contacted online. Information will be made available to law enforcement to investigate.

Child Welfare Information Gateway is not a hotline for reporting suspected child abuse or neglect, and it is not equipped to accept reports or intervene in personal situations of this nature.

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Who can report child abuse or neglect?

Anyone can report suspected child abuse or neglect. Reporting abuse or neglect can protect a child and get help for a family.

Mandatory Reporters of Child Abuse and Neglect
All U.S. States and territories have laws identifying persons who are required to report suspected child abuse or neglect. Mandatory reporters may include social workers, teachers and other school personnel, child care providers, physicians and other health-care workers, mental health professionals, and law enforcement officers. Some States require any person who suspects child abuse or neglect to report.

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What do I report when I suspect child abuse or neglect?

Provide a complete, honest account of what you observed that led you to suspect the occurrence of child abuse or neglect. Any reasonable suspicion is sufficient.

What Is Child Abuse and Neglect? Recognizing the Signs and Symptoms
Learn how to identify and report child abuse or neglect and refer children who may have been maltreated. This factsheet provides information on the legal definitions, different types, and signs and symptoms of abuse and neglect.

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What will happen after I make a report of child abuse or neglect?

After you make a report, it will be sent to child protective services (CPS). When CPS receives a report, the CPS worker reviews the information and determines if an investigation is needed. The CPS worker may talk with the family, the child, or others to help determine what is making the child unsafe. The CPS worker can help parents or other caregivers get services, education, or other assistance.

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Neighbors yell at the child and possibly beat him - what to do and where to turn anonymously

I have such a problem: people live on the floor above who regularly quarrel. Hard showdowns occur with the participation of a child of 5-7 years old.

I don't really hear what's going on with them, but I get the impression that the neighbor's child may be a victim of violence.

How to act in such a situation from the point of view of the law?

Olya Selivanova

lawyer

Author profile

First of all, I want to thank you for your concern: your fears are justified. The fact that neighbors loudly sort things out can in itself be an offense. A child can indeed be a victim of domestic violence. I will tell you why vigilance is the right tactic, as well as how to act in such a situation.

Why what is happening is abnormal

There are so-called silence laws in every region. If the neighbors sort things out violently and at the wrong time, you can contact the police. In Moscow, violators will be fined from 1,000 to 2,000 R or issued a warning.

Art. 3.13 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of MoscowPDF, 636 KB

Quiet hours and a list of actions that create noise are established by regional legislation. For example, in Moscow it is forbidden to disturb the peace and quiet of citizens from 23:00 to 07:00.

p. "b" part 1 art. 2 laws of Moscow on maintaining the peace of citizens and silencePDF, 95.2 KB

Conflicts in the family are not regulated by law. But family relations should not go beyond the legal framework. For example, parents should not allow a rude, neglectful and cruel attitude towards a child, harming his physical and mental health. The Family Code obliges parents to respect each other and promote well-being in the family.

Part 3 31, part 1, art. 65 SK RF

Systematic conflicts between parents harm the psychological health of the child, and also increase the likelihood of abuse, according to WHO.

A quarrel at any moment can develop into an open clash - in addition to psychological harm, it can also lead to physical injuries. The aggressor can throw objects at the victim, beat him, and sometimes even kill him. It is impossible to predict how the conflict will end. But if you are vigilant, you can prevent the worst.

I do not recommend intervening in the conflict on your own. You should not go up to the neighbors, swear with them, threaten to call the police or apply for custody. This can both pacify and anger them, which will aggravate the situation and may harm you and those who are in the apartment with the aggressor. It's better not to risk it.

/sosedi/

How I dealt with drinking neighbors

Here's what you can do if you suspect a neighbor's child has been the victim of domestic abuse.

Explaining complex things in simple terms

Understanding the laws that apply to you and your money. Once a month we send letters with the most important

Call the police

If the event unfolds here and now, call the police. Number 02 or 112 is valid throughout Russia.

Be prepared to give your details: anonymous submissions will not be considered. Try to describe what is happening as objectively as possible. It is not worth exaggerating. For example, say that neighbors are arguing, unintelligible sounds are heard, a child is crying, and you are worried about his safety.

The police go out not only for crimes, but also for offenses. It also checks the information received if there is reason to believe that the event may turn into a crime.

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How to contact the police

When the police arrive, they may question you and other neighbors. Upstairs neighbors will be checked to see if everything is in order, they will be reassured, they may be held accountable for violating the law on silence. If they see that the conditions for keeping a child are bad, there are signs of ill-treatment, poor physical and mental condition, then in the order of interagency cooperation they will transfer this information to the guardianship and guardianship authorities.

Sometimes people think that they should not call the police to a family quarrel: by the time the police arrive, the quarrel may be over, and then the complainant will feel embarrassed. But if you hear noise and screams, you can always record it on your phone and then let law enforcement officers listen to it. During the survey, information that there was a conflict can be confirmed by other neighbors.

What to do? 08/21/20

How to properly respond to calls for help?

If the call turned out to be false. Sometimes vigilant citizens worry that they will be held accountable if the call to the police turned out to be unreasonable and the information was not confirmed. But they are brought to justice only for a deliberately false call. That is, if a person knew that in reality everything was in order, but reported the opposite.

For example, in the Altai Territory, a girl after a conflict with her cohabitant decided to take revenge on him by calling the police and reporting that the man had threatened her with a knife.

This information was not true: the girl knew that there was no threat of murder. The police officer warned her about the responsibility for knowingly false denunciation, but the girl did not give up, and her statement was registered.

During the check, the girl's message was not confirmed. The police officers saw criminal intent in her actions and brought her to justice for knowingly false denunciation. True, as a result, the criminal case against her was stopped, and the punishment was limited to a court fine of 1000 R.

Resolution of the Pavlovsky District Court of the Altai Territory dated March 4, 2020 No. 1-63/2020

Contact the guardianship and guardianship authorities

The Family Code establishes the obligation to report a threat to the life or health of a child. Such a duty lies not only with officials and organizations, but also with ordinary citizens, including neighbors of a dysfunctional family. Checks on applications about a threat to the life or health of a child are carried out by guardianship and guardianship authorities.

h. 3 art. 56 SK RF

You can draw up an appeal without waiting for a recurrence of the conflict. As I understood from the question, the neighbors' fights happen regularly, which already speaks of the family's troubles.

The appeal is submitted to the guardianship authority at the actual location of the child. You can do this by phone, submit an appeal in person, send it by mail, including e-mail, or use the form on the body's website.

/guide/zhaloba/

How to file a complaint with any agency

If the request is in writing, be sure to indicate your full name, the address to which you need to send the answer, put the date and signature.

Part 1 7 of the law on the procedure for considering applications from citizens of the Russian Federation

It is not necessary to indicate the dates of quarrels - it is enough to describe the situation as a whole. If you know more information, mention it too. For example, that neighbors abuse alcohol, the child often and for a long time remains alone in the apartment, is not well-groomed, is not dressed for the weather, looks unhealthy, has bruises and abrasions, etc.

It's better if you make a collective appeal. To do this, first talk with the neighbors in the stairwell where the dysfunctional family lives. Ask about her, tell her that you are worried. Perhaps the neighbors simply do not dare to act on their own or do not know what to do.

Can parents sue for libel. Conflicting neighbors may claim that the information from your appeal is not true. When checking, they may not be confirmed either. For example, on the day when the check from guardianship comes, everything in the family will be safe and calm, even if this is not the case the rest of the time.

Neighbors have the right to file a libel complaint. It's annoying, but it happens. The good news is that the court will side with the vigilant citizen.

For example, in the Moscow Region, a woman applied to the guardianship and guardianship authorities to initiate an inspection of the children's living conditions. She pointed out the facts that she received from the neighbors: the children are dirty, beaten and cry all the time. According to the results of the check, the information was not confirmed, and then the father of the children filed a complaint against the woman, accusing her of slander.

Resolution of the Voskresensky City Court dated March 21, 2019 No. 10-3/2019

But the court refused him, and here’s why:

Citizens have the right to apply to state bodies, and they are obliged to check information from citizens. Such an appeal is not a way to spread false information.
Slander is a deliberate act when a person knowingly realizes that the information is not true.
The purpose of the woman's appeal was to find out if the children were safe. She showed concern and concern for their fate, but she did not have the goal of slandering their father.

Amazing story 06/03/19

He complained about the poor performance of the Criminal Code. The court said: "Sorry"

Will the child be taken away from the neighbors. Most likely not: in order to remove a child from a family, serious grounds are needed. The guardianship authorities examine the living conditions of the child, assess his physical and emotional state, relationships in the family, etc. If the family is dysfunctional, then they will take control of it, carry out preventive measures, and provide consulting assistance.

A prosperous family has nothing to fear at all. We already wrote about this in an article about a neighbor who groundlessly threatened to apply for custody. In your case, there are grounds for appeal, in my opinion.

Contact the Commissioner for Children's Rights

Children's interests are protected by various state bodies. First, you need to contact them directly, for example, write an application to the guardianship and guardianship authorities.

If the authority is inactive and does not take action, then contacting the Commissioner for Children's Rights is an additional protection mechanism. You can file a complaint with him about the inaction of guardianship or get advice.

/prava/prava-deti/

Rights of children under 18

In each region, the Commissioner for Children's Rights is a specific person. You can see who is authorized in your region on the website of the Commissioner under the President of the country. The appeal can be sent via the electronic form in the same place - it will be transferred to the regional commissioner.

What else can be done

There are centers for helping people who have suffered from domestic violence in Russia. Perhaps the most famous is “No Violence”. There is a lot of useful information on their website, there is a map with help centers throughout Russia. The center has developed a leaflet on how to recognize domestic violence and what to do if you encounter it. It can be downloaded and printed, and then distributed, for example, at the entrance. This is an information help option.

The No to Violence Center is included by the Ministry of Justice in the register of NGOs acting as foreign agents. And we have an obligation to tell you about it

No Violence LeafletPDF, 159 KB

Try to talk to the child's mother. Say that you are worried about their safety. Offer your help. For example, agree on a prearranged signal that she will give you if the police are needed. Being in the same apartment with the aggressor, it is difficult to safely call the police. But she may refuse - then calling the police will be at your discretion.

Here is where else you can get help in resolving family conflicts and disagreements:

Psychological assistance service for the population.
Family centers in different parts of Moscow.
Active mediation services.

In addition, there is a unified free telephone helpline throughout Russia at 8 800 200-01-22. Both an adult and a child can ask for help.

Leaflet with a helpline, which can also be hung in entrance

What is the result

One should not remain indifferent to the safety of neighbors. You, as an eyewitness, cannot always judge whether police intervention is required or not. Screaming, swearing, roaring, crying of a child is already a reason to dial 02 or 112.

They will not be held accountable for vigilance. It is not prohibited by law to apply to state bodies. If you objectively describe the facts that served as the reason for applying for custody, offended parents will not achieve anything. Even if they consider your appeal slander.

If everything is in order in the family, the neighbors have nothing to fear. The guardianship authorities do not take the child away without serious grounds. If the family is dysfunctional, then it will first be put under control.

The child and his mother may be victims of domestic violence, systematic scandals are a sign of this. In this case, you can talk to the mother, express concern and offer your help.

What to do? Readers ask - experts answer

Ask your question

How to become a social security client -

Client relationships with welfare or child protection services often begin with the parents or the child contacting the welfare or child protection agency for help. This relationship may also begin with school or kindergarten staff, together with the child's parents, contacting a welfare worker to assess the need for assistance. A notice to Child Protective Services may also initiate such a relationship.

Anyone with a concern for the well-being of a child can make an anonymous child protection statement. Officials working with children are required to tell Child Protective Services if they have concerns about a child's well-being. As a rule, professionals discuss this issue first with the family. The police file a complaint if the minor committed a crime, used drugs, or was present during a domestic violence situation.

What could be the reasons for the need for assistance?

A major change is taking place in the life of the family, affecting all its members.
Parents suffer from fatigue, illness, depression, mental illness.
Parents use drugs and alcohol, often and in large quantities.
There are cases of domestic violence.
The child or adolescent engages in activities that are dangerous or harmful to him/herself, such as using alcohol or drugs, breaking the law, or not attending school.
The child bears too much responsibility for the life of the family for his age, for example, due to the illness of his parents.

What follows an application or notification?

The social worker carefully evaluates each notification and application and then, in most cases, begins the process of assessing the situation of the child and family. Depending on the situation of the child and the family, the assessment may consist of determining the need for social assistance, indicated in the social security law, or determining the need for child protection.

In most cases, the worker contacts the family and invites the parents and children to discuss the situation. During the evaluation process, there may be several meetings, which can be organized either at the social service office or at the kindergarten, school or family home. For complete clarity of what is happening for both parties, it is possible to use an interpreter. The meetings discuss the reasons for the application and possible ways to help the child and family. During the assessment process, it is not uncommon for the worker to meet with the child without the presence of the parents. The situation of the child and the family is assessed as broadly as necessary. At the request of the family, cooperation can be offered to other relatives of the child or relatives.

An assessment of the situation of the family and the child may be the reason for registering the family as a client of the social service or child protection service.

If the child and family plan to use the services and support of the social service, and they do not need the help of the child protection service, then for the duration of their status as a client of the social service, their own curator is assigned - a responsible employee. Client relationships with social security services are voluntary.

If the situation of the family and the child requires the support of a child protection service, the child becomes a client of the child protection service. In this case, a specially appointed social worker supervising the child's case is responsible for managing the child's case. If, based on an assessment of the need for social assistance or the need to protect a child, service workers have concerns about the condition or situation of a child, then he can be enrolled in child protection services also in such a situation when he and his parents do not consider it necessary. The status of a client of a social service or child protection service is not assigned if, according to the results of the assessment, there are no reasons for concern, and the child, as well as the family, does not need support.

At the beginning of a social service client relationship, the child and family can receive support, for example, through social advice and counseling, financial support, home services, family work, and the provision of a support specialist or support family.