Reporting Child Abuse in California
A child abuse report is made every ten seconds. In recent years, over three million child abuse reports have been made involving six million children. If you suspect someone is abusing their child and want to make a report, there are certain steps you must go through. First, closely observe the child's behavior and look for signs of abuse withdrawal, fearfulness, and other changes in behavior. If you believe a child is being abuse, the first step is filing a report.
Reporting Child Abuse to the Authorities
Contact the law enforcement agency in your area to file a report. Below are links and contact numbers for some of the major metropolitan areas in California:
Alameda County: Call 911 if the child is at a serious risk. If not, contact Child Protective Service's Emergency Response unit at 510-259-1800.
Fresno: Call the Child Protective Services hotline at 559-255-8320.
Los Angeles: To report child abuse, contact the Department of Children and Family Services Hotline, which is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The number is 800-540-4000.
Orange County: Contact the Social Services Agency at 714-940-1000 or 800-207-4464, which is their 24 hour hotline.
Sacramento: If it is an emergency, call 911. If not, contact Sacramento County Child Protective Services at 916-875-5437
San Diego: Call the County of San Diego's Social Services Department's Child Protective Services Child Abuse Hotline at 858-560-2191 or 800-344-6000 to report suspected child abuse or suspected significant risk of child abuse. If the abuse is in progress you should call 911.
Santa Clara County: In case of emergency, call 911. Otherwise, reports should be made to the Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline in the following areas:
- San Jose Area: 408-299-2071
- Gilroy/Morgan Hill Area: 408-683-0601
- Palo Alto Area: 650-493-1186
If you are reporting a mandatory child abuse report, you must call the appropriate agency (Department of Child and Family Services, local law enforcement) and make a telephone report then a follow up report within the first 36 hours. If, for some reason, you cannot make a telephone report, you can make a onetime written report to the Department of Justice and fill out Form SS 8572. If you do it this way, you are not required to make a follow up report.
Once you file that report, you have no further obligation in the matter. An investigator might contact you for further information, but it is not necessary for you to provide more details. A worker may not accept the report, but it is your obligation to make a report if you feel that child abuse is occurring. In some counties, it is also considered a misdemeanor to fail to report child abuse.
Obtaining Compensation In a Civil Claim
If your child or a child you know has endured abuse, you may contact the attorneys of Estey Bomberger today to receive a consultation regarding your rights in a civil claim. We handle claims not just against perpetrators, but against the organizations and entities whose negligent failure to supervise or respond to abuse allegations resulted in devastating consequences. We have recovered millions of dollars for abuse victims, including a $30 child molestation verdict in 2010. Contact us today for a free consultation.
Estey & Bomberger, LLP
Personal Injury Attorneys
Phone 619-543-1391
Toll Free 800-672-1036
