National Child Abuse and Neglect Numbers
August 27, 2008 by Tyler Hartle · Comments Off
National Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Telephone Numbers and Website Information
Below are the toll-free numbers and websites for specific agencies designated to accept and investigate reports of suspected child abuse and neglect for each state in the United States.
Alabama
Local (toll): (334) 242-9500
Alabama Child Abuse Reporting Website
Alaska
Toll-Free: (800) 478-4444
Alaska Child Abuse Reporting Website
Arizona
Toll-Free: (888) SOS-CHILD (888-767-2445)
Arizona Child Abuse Reporting Website
Arkansas
Toll-Free: (800) 482-5964
Arkansas Child Abuse Reporting Website
California
Report Child Abuse in California
Click on the website above for information on reporting or call 1-800-4-A-CHILD / 1-800-422-4453 for assistance.
Colorado
Local (toll): (303) 866-5932
Report Child Abuse in Colorado
Connecticut
TDD: (800) 624-5518
Toll-Free: (800) 842-2288
Report Child Abuse in Connecticut
Delaware
Toll-Free: (800) 292-9582
Report Child Abuse in Delaware
District of Columbia
Local (toll): (202) 671-SAFE (202-671-7233)
Report Child Abuse in the District of Columbia
Florida
Toll-Free: (800) 96-ABUSE (800-962-2873)
Report Child Abuse in Florida
Georgia
Report Child Abuse in Georgia
Click on the website above for information on reporting or call 1-800-4-A-CHILD / 1-800-422-4453 for assistance.
Hawaii
Local (toll): (808) 832-5300
Report Child Abuse in Hawaii
Idaho
Toll-Free: (800) 926-2588
Report Child Abuse in Idaho
Illinois
Toll-Free: (800) 252-2873
Local (toll): (217) 524-2606
Report Child Abuse in Illinois
Indiana
Toll-Free: (800) 800-5556
Report Child Abuse in Indiana
Iowa
Toll-Free: (800) 362-2178
Report Child Abuse in Iowa
Kansas
Toll-Free: (800) 922-5330
Report Child Abuse in Kansas
Kentucky
Toll-Free: (800) 752-6200
Report Child Abuse in Kentucky
Louisiana
Report Child Abuse in Louisiana
Click on the website above for information on reporting or call 1-800-4-A-CHILD / 1-800-422-4453 for assistance.
Maine
TTY: (800) 963-9490
Toll-Free: (800) 452-1999
Report Child Abuse in Maine
Maryland
Report Child Abuse in Maryland
Click on the website above for information on reporting or call 1-800-4-A-CHILD / 1-800-422-4453 for assistance.
Massachusetts
Toll-Free: (800) 792-5200
Report Child Abuse in Massachusetts
Michigan
Report Child Abuse in Michigan
Click on the website above for information on reporting or call 1-800-4-A-CHILD / 1-800-422-4453 for assistance.
Minnesota
Report Child Abuse in Minnesota
Click on the website above for information on reporting or call 1-800-4-A-CHILD / 1-800-422-4453 for assistance.
Mississippi
Toll-Free: (800) 222-8000
Local (toll): (601) 359-4991
Report Child Abuse in Mississippi
Missouri
Toll-Free: (800) 392-3738
Local (toll): (573) 751-3448
Report Child Abuse in Missouri
Montana
Toll-Free: (866) 820-5437
Report Child Abuse in Montana
Nebraska
Toll-Free: (800) 652-1999
Report Child Abuse in Nebraska
Nevada
Toll-Free: (800) 992-5757
Report Child Abuse in Nevada
New Hampshire
Toll-Free: (800) 894-5533
Local (toll): (603) 271-6556
Report Child Abuse in New Hampshire
New Jersey
TDD: (800) 835-5510
TTY: (800) 835-5510
Toll-Free: (877) 652-2873
Report Child Abuse in New Jersey
New Mexico
Toll-Free: (800) 797-3260
Local (toll): (505) 841-6100
Report Child Abuse in New Mexico
New York
TDD: (800) 369-2437
Toll-Free: (800) 342-3720
Local (toll): (518) 474-8740
Report Child Abuse in New York
North Carolina
Report Child Abuse in North Carolina
Click on the website above for information on reporting or call 1-800-4-A-CHILD / 1-800-422-4453 for assistance.
North Dakota
Report Child Abuse in North Dakota
Click on the website above for information on reporting or call 1-800-4-A-CHILD / 1-800-422-4453 for assistance.
Ohio
Report Child Abuse in Ohio
Contact the county Public Children Services Agency using the list above or call 1-800-4-A-CHILD / 1-800-422-4453for assistance.
Oklahoma
Toll-Free: (800) 522-3511
Report Child Abuse in Oklahoma
Oregon
Report Child Abuse in Oregon
Click on the website above for information on reporting or call 1-800-4-A-CHILD / 1-800-422-4453 for assistance.
Pennsylvania
Toll-Free: (800) 932-0313
Report Child Abuse in Pennsylvania
Puerto Rico
Toll-Free: (800) 981-8333
Local (toll): (787) 749-1333
Spanish Information on Website: Report Child Abuse in Puerto Rico
Rhode Island
Toll-Free: (800) RI-CHILD (800-742-4453)
Report Child Abuse in Rhode Island
South Carolina
Local (toll): (803) 898-7318
Report Child Abuse in South Carolina
South Dakota
Report Child Abuse in South Dakota
Click on the website above for information on reporting or call 1-800-4-A-CHILD / 1-800-422-4453 for assistance.
Tennessee
Toll-Free: (877) 237-0004
Report Child Abuse in Tennessee
Texas
Toll-Free: (800) 252-5400
Report Child Abuse in Texas
Utah
Toll-Free: (800) 678-9399
Report Child Abuse in Utah
Vermont
After hours: (800) 649-5285
Report Child Abuse in Vermont
Virginia
Toll-Free: (800) 552-7096
Local (toll): (804) 786-8536
Report Child Abuse in Virginia
Washington
TTY: (800) 624-6186
Toll-Free: (866) END-HARM (866-363-4276)
After hours: (800) 562-5624
Report Child Abuse in Washington
West Virginia
Toll-Free: (800) 352-6513
Report Child Abuse in West Virginia
Wisconsin
Report Child Abuse in Wisconsin
Click on the website above for information on reporting or call 1-800-4-A-CHILD / 1-800-422-4453 for assistance.
Wyoming
Report Child Abuse in Wyoming
Click on the website above for information on reporting or call 1-800-4-A-CHILD / 1-800-422-4453 for assistance.
All numbers and website information is current as of date posted.
Recognizing The Signs
August 19, 2008 by Tyler Hartle · Leave a Comment
Recognize the signs of child abuse
The effects of child abuse and neglect are not always easy to identify and people who abuse can go to great lengths to hide it. Many of the common signs of child abuse can be confused with normal, everyday happenings. Adults need to be aware that a change in a child’s behavior may be caused by child abuse.
Recognizing the signs in children
The following are some of the general indicators of child abuse and neglect that you may observe in children or young people. The presence of one or more of these factors does not by itself prove that child abuse is happening. However, it can alert you to the possibility of child abuse. The likelihood of child abuse is occurring may be higher when more indicators are present.
- A child or young person tells you that he or she is being abused or hurt
- You notice sudden or unexplained changes in mood or behavior of a child or young person
- You notice frequent or unexplained bruises or injuries on a child or young person
- You see a child or young person with low self-esteem
- You see a child or young person with poor hygiene
- You notice that a child or young person becomes withdrawn or unresponsive
- You notice a child or young person with a lot of exaggerated fears
- You notice that a child or young person seems to lack trust in familiar adults
- You notice that a child or young person has serious difficulties relating to peers and/or adults
- You see a child or young person who is always angry or aggressive
- You find out that a child or young person has difficulty sleeping and experiences nightmares
- You notice a child or young person experience a change in eating patterns
Recognize the signs in parents
The following are just some of the general indicators of child abuse and neglect that you may observe in the behavior of parents or care givers. The presence of one or more of these factors does not by itself prove that abuse is happening. However, it can alert you to the possibility of abuse. The possibility of abuse may be higher if more indicators are present.
- You notice that a parent seems unconcerned about the child’s welfare at home or school
- You notice that there is domestic violence between adults in a household
- You notice that a parent feels constantly stressed and tells you they have hurt his/her child
- You see that a parent seems secretive or tries to isolate the child from other children
- You notice that a parent constantly talks about the child in negative ways
- You notice that a parent frequently blames, belittles or insults the child
- You notice that a parent avoids talking about the child’s injuries or gives conflicting explanations for them
- You notice that a parent is suffering from depression or other serious mental illness that may be impacting on their ability to care for their children
- You notice that a parent is drinking alcohol excessively or abusing prescription medication and is not able to take care of his/her children properly
- You see or hear that a parent is using illegal drugs and is not able to take care of his/her children properly
Recognize the signs in yourself
As parents or others charged with rearing chidlren, we can relate to sometimes feeling tested to the limits of our parenting ability. Sometimes we can feel out of control. In other situations, we can have personal problems that stop us from caring for our children.
It is your responsibility to recognize when you need help before the harm happens.
If you feel you may hurt, or have hurt your child, it is important that you seek immediate assistance.
STOP what you are doing.
THINK about how you and your child are affected by what is happening.
DO something to change things.
GET SUPPORT to make the changes.
Seeking support and assistance can take courage. Taking this step, however, is critical for you and your child.
Seeking support and assistance reflects:
- your love for your child
- your ability to appreciate there is a problem
- your desire for things to be different for your family
- your commitment to working towards changing things for the better.
Speak to someone you trust and feel can help you.
Find a list of support services that may be able to assist you and your family. Keep trying until you find a service that can help you.
Things can change for the better for you and your family. It is up to you to take the next step.
Deciding To Take Action
August 12, 2008 by Tyler Hartle · Leave a Comment
It is often hard to know what to do to help a child or young person who has been abused. You may think you are over-reacting or mistaken. You worry that you may be seen by others as interfering. You might think you may be responsible for breaking the family up.
Sometimes people are concerned that efforts to help children ends up causing them further harm. However, we know that this is not the case. Many adult survivors of abuse have said that the continued abuse causes more harm than any action taken to stop the abuse.
If you suspect child abuse report it.
- Trust your judgment.
- You do not have to prove that the abuse is happening.
- You can report anonymously.
Families need help when abuse is happening.
Reporting abuse can help families to receive the counselling and support services they need. This may help to relieve some of the family problems or stress. It will probably be critical in preventing further abuse of the children or young people in that family.
Things You Can Do In Your Community
August 12, 2008 by Tyler Hartle · Leave a Comment
Raise awareness about child abuse by talking to friends and neighbors about child abuse and how to prevent it.
Help community groups, clubs or organizations, like the Utah Valley Family Support and Treatment Center, to distribute copies of this booklet throughout the community.
Support local efforts to help families, such as fundraising for a local family charity or a food or clothing drive.
Get involved with your child’s school. Find out what they are doing to help prevent child abuse and neglect and how you might help.
Raise the issue of children’s safety and protection in your local community groups, sporting clubs and service groups. As a group, you may be able to improve community awareness about the problem of child abuse and ensure the safety of children in your area by staging local events about children and their need for protection.
Ensure organizations and clubs that have contact with children in your community have policies that outline safe and respectful ways of interacting with children. These guidelines should address bullying, discipline of children, sexism and racism. There should also be procedures for supporting children if they disclose that they are being hurt or abused by an adult involved in the organization.
Ensure organizations and clubs in your local community that have contact with children have policies regarding appropriate recruitment and screening processes, including mandatory police checks for staff and volunteers.
Support organizations or businesses that are committed to promoting the protection of children in your community.
What You Can Do For A Child
August 12, 2008 by Tyler Hartle · Leave a Comment
Playing your part - What you can do for children
- Show and tell children that they are important to you and that you care about how they feel.
- Understand and respect children’s vulnerabilities as well as their abilities.
- Appreciate the insights of children. They understand more than you think.
- Try to understand the seriousness and consequences of child abuse.
- Be someone special for a child to turn to. Be there to listen.
- Trust your judgement. Don’t keep it to yourself – do something if you are worried about a child.
Celebrate the Life of a Child in Our Community
August 11, 2008 by Tyler Hartle · Leave a Comment
So often, today, we hear about the costs of having a child. These are usually described as economic, social or career costs. We hear talk of the sacrifices made by adults in their lives as a result of having a child.
It is sometimes easy to lose sight of what is important. In the middle of life’s busy pace, take time out to reflect on the ways a child contribute to your life or the life of your community.
A child enriches the lives of adults in many ways. Giving adults:
- Their trust.
- The chance to be a hero.
- The chance to share in the magic and wonder of their world.
- The chance to reflect on your own values, attitudes and assumptions about the world.
- The chance to share in their fun and their laughter.
- The chance to revisit your own childhood.
- The chance to take time out from being a grown up.
Ways to tell a child they are important:
- Show them that you are interested in them by spending time together, listening to them, joining in their play.
- Celebrate their achievements, no matter how small.
- Praise them for trying, no matter what the outcome.
- Keep special reminders of their successes and milestones.
- Let them help you do things.
- Let them know it is OK to make mistakes; it is all part of learning.
- Help them to build on their strengths.
- Ask their opinion on things that affect them. It shows you care about what they think.
- Help them to solve their own problems. Show them that you have faith in them.
