A complaint of child abuse and or neglect can be made by any person, including a child, who has reasonable cause to suspect child abuse or neglect. The Child Protection Law requires certain professionals to report suspected child abuse or neglect. The complaint may be reported to the Department of Human Services (DHS) or any law enforcement agency.
Go to the Complaint Tips section for information on potential indicators of child abuse and neglect. Go to the Report Abuse Now! section for instructions on how to report suspected child abuse or neglect to DHS. To find out more information regarding professionals required to report suspected child abuse or neglect, go to the Mandated Reporters page.
Intake
When Children's Protective Services (CPS) receives a complaint of suspected child abuse or neglect, it must do one of the following:
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Assign the complaint for investigation.
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Reject the complaint.
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Transfer the complaint to another agency for investigation, such as law enforcement or the Bureau of Child and Adult Licensing.
A CPS complaint must meet the following three criteria in order to be assigned for investigation:
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The alleged victim is under 18 years of age.
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The alleged perpetrator is a
parent, legal guardian or other person responsible for the child's health and welfare.
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The allegations minimally meet the child abuse and neglect definitions in the Child Protection Law.
Go to the Investigation Process section for more information what happens when a complaint is assigned for investigation.
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