Child Abuse Information by State

Information on child abuse doesn't have to be difficult to find if you know where to look. Federal legislation provides guidance to states, and states must make their own criminal and civil statutes within the confines of federal law. Although child abuse is a nationwide problem, child abuse laws vary from state to state. Therefore, it is important to turn first to your own state laws and resources when educating yourself on the subject.

Here you will find a wide variety of information regarding child abuse including child abuse hotlines, child protective services, and reporting guides by state.

National

• Child Welfare Information Gateway (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)
• MedlinePlus: Child Abuse (National Library of Medicine)
• Child Abuse Manual [PDF] (U.S. Army Community and Family Support Center)

Alabama

• Alabama Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Board (Alabama Department of Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention)
• Child Abuse FAQs (Alabama Department of Human Resources)
• Prevent Child Abuse Alabama (Prevent Child Abuse America)

Alaska

• Report Child Abuse in Alaska (Alaska Department of Family and Community Services – Office of Children's Services)
• Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect (Alaska Youth Law Guide)
• Child Abuse Resources (Alaska Department of Family and Community Services – Office of Children's Services)

Arizona

• Report Child Abuse or Neglect (Arizona Department of Child Safety)
• Regional Child Abuse Prevention Councils (Arizona Department of Child Safety)
• Childhood Neglect (Court Appointed Special Advocates)

Arkansas

• Child Protective Services: How to Report Child Abuse or Neglect (Arkansas Department of Human Services)
• Child Abuse Resources (Arkansas Commission on Child Abuse, Rape and Domestic Violence)
• Childhelp Arkansas (Childhelp)

California

• Abuse & Neglect: Information for Parents (Judicial Council of California)
• Juvenile Dependency Forms (Judicial Branch of California)
• Find Help: Violence and Abuse (First5 California)

Colorado

• Colorado Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline Reporting System (Colorado Department of Human Services)
• Tennyson Center for Children (Tennyson Center for Children)
• Child Abuse & Neglect (CO4Kids)

Connecticut

• Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect FAQs (Department of Children and Families)
• Report of Suspected Child Abuse or Neglect [PDF] (Department of Children and Families)
• Child Abuse or Neglect Resources (Connecticut Children's)

Delaware

• Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting (Delaware Department of Services for Children, Youth & Their Families)
• The Professionals' Guide to Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect [PDF] (Delaware Department of Services for Children, Youth & Their Families)
• Child Abuse/Neglect Mandatory Reporting Form (Department of Services for Children, Youth & Their Families)

District of Columbia

• Report Child Abuse and Neglect (DC Child and Family Services Agency)
• Signs of Child Abuse and Neglect (DC Child and Family Services Agency)
• Safe Shores (DC Children's Advocacy Center)

Florida

• Florida Abuse Program (Department of Children & Families)
• Reporting Child Abuse or Neglect (Florida Network of Children's Advocacy Centers)
• A Parent's Guide to Juvenile Dependency Court (Florida's Center for Child Welfare)

Georgia

• Child Abuse & Neglect (Georgia Division of Family and Children Services)
• How To Report Child Abuse or Neglect (Department of Family and Children Services)
• Prevent Child Abuse Georgia (Georgia State University)

Hawaii

• Child Welfare Services (Hawai'i Department of Human Services and Social Services)
• Child Abuse Resources (Cap4Kids Children's Advocacy Project of Hawaii)
• Hawai'i Children's Justice Centers (Hawai'i State Judiciary)

Idaho

• Child Protection (Idaho Supreme Court)
• Report Neglect, Abuse, and Abandonment (Idaho Department of Health & Welfare)
• Child Abuse Prevention & Reporting Resources (Idaho Network of Children's Advocacy Centers)

Illinois

• Children & Family Services Hotlines (Illinois Department of Children & Family Services)
• Child Protection (Illinois Department of Children & Family Services)
• Prevent Child Abuse Illinois (Prevent Child Abuse America)

Indiana

• Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect Resources (Indiana Family and Social Services Administration)
• Do I have to report suspected child abuse? (Indiana Legal Services)
• Child Abuse Hotline (Indiana Department of Child Services)

Iowa

• Child Abuse: Guide for Mandatory Reporters [PDF] (Iowa Department of Human Services)
• Prevent Child Abuse Iowa Resources (Prevent Child Abuse America)
• Child Protection Resources (Iowa Department of Public Health)

Kansas

• Child Abuse Report Guide [PDF] (Kansas Department for Children and Families)
• Reporting Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of Adult and Child (Kansas Department for Children and Families)
• Prevent Child Abuse Kansas (Prevent Child Abuse America)

Kentucky

• Juvenile Dependency, Neglect and Abuse Petition (Kentucky Court of Justice)
• Child Protection Branch (Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services)
• Find Help – Kentucky's Children Advocacy Centers (Commonwealth of Kentucky)

Louisiana

• Reporting Child Abuse or Neglect FAQ (Louisiana Department of Social Services)
• Child Protection Investigation (Louisiana Department of Children & Family Services)
• Childhelp Louisiana (Childhelp)

Maine

• Reporting Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect (Maine Department of Health and Human Services)
• Child Protection (Maine Child and Family Services)
• How to Report Child Abuse/Neglect (Maine Child and Family Services)

Maryland

• Petition for Protection from Domestic Violence/Child Abuse/Vulnerable Adult Abuse (District Court of Maryland)
• Dictionary (for Use With Petition For Protection from Domestic Violence, Child Abuse, and Vulnerable Adult Abuse) [PDF] (District Court of Maryland)
• Report Abuse (Maryland Children's Alliance, Inc.)

Massachusetts

• Warning Signs of Child Abuse & Neglect (Executive Office of Health and Human Services)
• Report Child Abuse or Neglect (Executive Office of Health and Human Services)
• List of Child Physical & Sexual Abuse Services by Massachusetts County (Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance)

Michigan

• A Model Child Abuse Protocol - DHS Pub-794 [PDF] (Michigan Department of Health & Human Services)
• Report Abuse & Neglect (Michigan Department of Health & Human Services)
• Childhelp Michigan (Childhelp)

Minnesota

• Report Abuse (Minnesota Department of Human Services)
• What is Considered Child Abuse and Neglect in Minnesota? (Minnesota Department of Human Services)
• Education Materials and Other Resources (Midwest Children's Resource Center)

Mississippi

• Report Child Abuse/Neglect (Mississippi Department of Human Services)
• Types of Child Abuse (Mississippi State Department of Health)
• How to Report Abuse (Mississippi State Department of Health)

Missouri

• Child Abuse & Neglect Hotline (Missouri Department of Social Services)
• Child Abuse and Neglect Investigation (Missouri Department of Social Services)
• Prevent Child Abuse Missouri (Missouri KidsFirst)

Montana

• Child and Family Services (Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services)
• Hotline Numbers (Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services)
• Resources (Parenting Montana)

Nebraska

• Child Welfare, Juvenile & Adult Protective Services (Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services)
• Child Abuse & Neglect (Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services)
• Prevent Child Abuse Nebraska (Prevent Child Abuse America)

Nevada

• Report Suspected Child Abuse or Neglect (Nevada Department of Health & Human Services Division of Child & Family Services)
• Child Protective Services (Nevada Department of Health & Human Services Division of Child & Family Services)
• Resources (Children's Advocacy Centers of Nevada)

New Hampshire

• Child Protection Services (New Hampshire Department of Health & Human Services)
• Report Child Abuse (New Hampshire Department of Health & Human Services)
• Prevent Child Abuse in New Hampshire (Prevent Child Abuse America)

New Jersey

• How and When to Report Child Abuse/Neglect (New Jersey Department of Children and Families)
• New Jersey Division of Youth and Family Services (New Jersey Department of Children and Families)
• Report Abuse (Prevent Child Abuse New Jersey)

New Mexico

• Definitions of Abuse & Neglect (New Mexico Children, Youth & Families Department)
• Reporting Child Abuse (New Mexico Children, Youth & Families Department)
• Childhelp New Mexico (Childhelp)

New York

• Child Protective Forms (New York State Unified Court System)
• Prevent Child Abuse New York (Prevent Child Abuse America)
• Shaken Baby Syndrome (New York Department of Health)

North Carolina

• Child Protective Services (North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services)
• Prevent Child Abuse North Carolina (Prevent Child Abuse America)
• Child Abuse Response and Prevention (North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence)

North Dakota

• North Dakota Child Protection Program (North Dakota Department of Human Services)
• Prevent Child Abuse North Dakota (Prevent Child Abuse America)
• Children and Family Services (North Dakota Department of Human Services)

Ohio

• What to do if a Child Reports Abuse or Neglect [PDF] (Ohio Department of Job and Family Services)
• You Can Help Prevent Child Abuse [PDF] (Ohio Department of Job and Family Services)
• Child Protective Services (Ohio Department of Job and Family Services)

Oklahoma

• Child Protective Services Unit (Oklahoma Department of Human Services)
• Office of Child Abuse Prevention (Oklahoma State Department of Health)
• Oklahoma Child Abuse Hotline (Oklahoma State Department of Health)

Oregon

• Child Abuse and Neglect (Oregon Department of Human Services)
• Child Abuse & Neglect Risk Factor Checklist [PDF] (Oregon Department of Human Services)
• What You Can Do About Child Abuse [PDF] (Oregon Department of Human Services)

Pennsylvania

• Child Welfare Portal (Pennsylvania Child Welfare Information Solution)
• Abuse & Neglect Definition (Pennsylvania Family Support Alliance)
• Keep Kids Safe (Pennsylvania Department of Human Services)

Puerto Rico

• Child Abuse Hotline Number (Reproductive Health National Training Center)
• Administración Auxiliar de Protección Social (Puerto Rico Child Protective Services)
• Regional Help (Office of Regional Operations – An Office of the Administration for Children & Families)

Rhode Island

• Child Abuse Hotline Number (Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth, and Families)
• Reporting Child Abuse and/or Neglect (Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth, and Families)
• Child Welfare in Rhode Island (Rhode Island Kids Count)

South Carolina

• Child Protective Services (South Carolina Department of Social Services)
• Need to Report Abuse or Neglect? (South Carolina Department of Social Services)
• Prevent Child Abuse South Carolina (Prevent Child Abuse America)

South Dakota

• Report Abuse and Neglect (South Dakota Child Protection Services)
• Child Abuse and Neglect Mandatory Reporting (South Dakota Child Protection Services)
• South Dakota Child Abuse Prevention & Response Service Portal (The Center for the Prevention of Child Maltreatment)

Tennessee

• Tennessee Department of Children's Services (Tennessee State Government)
• Child Abuse Reporting (Tennessee Department of Children's Services)
• Preventing Sexual Abuse of Children [PDF] (University of Tennessee)

Texas

• Report Abuse, Neglect, or Exploitation (Texas Department of Family and Protective Services)
• Texas Child Protective Services (Texas Department of Family and Protective Services)
• Child Abuse Prevention and Safety Resources (Texas Department of State Health Services)

Utah

• Child Abuse Prevention (Utah Department of Health & Human Services)
• Prevent Child Abuse Utah (Prevent Child Abuse Utah)
• Child Protective Services (Utah Division of Child and Family Services)

Vermont

• Reporting Child Abuse (Vermont Department for Children and Families)
• Child Abuse and Reporting [PDF] (Vermont Department of Health Agency of Education)
• Resources for Families (Vermont Agency of Human Services)

Virginia

• Child Abuse & Foster Care Prevention (Virginia Department of Social Services)
• Prevent Child Abuse Virginia (Prevent Child Abuse America)
• Child Abuse Prevention Toolkits (Families Forward Virginia)

Washington

• What is Child Abuse and Neglect? (Washington State Department of Children, Youth and Families)
• Prevent Child Abuse Washington (Prevent Child Abuse America)
• Reporting Child Abuse & Neglect (Washington State Office of the Attorney General)

West Virginia

• Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect (West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources)
• Prevention Resources – Child Abuse & Neglect (West Virginia Violence & Injury Prevention Program)
• Childhelp West Virginia (Childhelp)

Wisconsin

• Report Child Abuse and Neglect (Wisconsin Department of Children and Families)
• Child Abuse, Neglect & Abandonment (Wisconsin State Law Library)
• Prevent Child Abuse Wisconsin (Prevent Child Abuse America)

Wyoming

• Reporting Abuse/Neglect (Wyoming Department of Family Services)
• Wyoming Division of Victim Services (Wyoming Division of Victim Services)
• Prevent Child Abuse Wyoming (Prevent Child Abuse America)

Get More State-Specific Child Abuse Information by Talking to an Attorney

Child abuse is a tragic epidemic that can scar a child for the rest of his or her life. While only the abuser is responsible for the abuse, what allows it to continue is inaction by others who may see the warning signs. Don't take a chance with a child's life and future.

While law enforcement can provide immediate assistance, it's best to talk to an experienced family law attorney who can help you come up with a long-term solution.