Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect
To report possible child abuse or neglect in Massachusetts, you must first file an oral report by calling the Child-at-Risk Hotline at 1-800-792-5200 to notify the appropriate area office of the Department of Children and Families (DCF). Even if you complete the 51A Report Form located below, you must also first phone DCF directly or the Child-at-Risk Hotline. For information on how to report child abuse and neglect outside of Massachusetts, please call the National Child Abuse Hotline, 1-800-4-A-CHILD.
DCF relies on reports from professionals and other concerned individuals to learn about children who may need protection. DCF receives reports on more than 100,000 children each year. Certain professionals are mandated to report child abuse and neglect (listed below); however, anyone can report child abuse and neglect. If you learn that a child has been abused or neglected, or if you are concerned that a child may be in danger of abuse and neglect, please first call DCF and file an oral report immediately - before you mail or fax the 51A Report Form (located below). Qualified professionals are available 24 hours a day to take reports and address your concerns.
When you call DCF to report child abuse and neglect, please do your best to provide the following information:
- The name, address, sex, date of birth or approximate age, present whereabouts of the reported child or children, and any other children in the household;
- The names, addresses and telephone numbers of the child's parents or other persons responsible for the child's care;
- The primary language spoken by the child and the child's caretaker;
- If you are a mandated reporter: your name, address, telephone number, profession and relationship to the child;
- if you are a non-mandated reporter: your name, address, telephone number, profession and relationship to the child; or you may remain anonymous;
- The nature and extent of the abuse or neglect;
- Any evidence or knowledge of prior injury, abuse, maltreatment or neglect;
- Your opinion of current risk to the reported child and to any other child in the home or substitute care setting;
- If the above information was given to you by a third party, the identity of that person, unless the third party has requested anonymity;
- The circumstances under which you first became aware of the child's alleged injuries, abuse or neglect;
- Any action taken to treat, shelter or assist the child; and
- Any additional information you believe may be helpful in establishing the cause of the child's injury or the person responsible.
Form:
- Report of Child(ren) Alleged to be Suffering from Serious Physical or Emotional Injury by Abuse or Neglect (PDF) | RTF
Mandated Reporters
Massachusetts law requires many professionals who work with children to notify DCF if they suspect that any child has been, or is at risk of being, abused or neglected.
Massachusetts law defines the following professionals as mandated reporters:
- Physicians, medical interns, hospital personnel engaged in the examination, care or treatment of persons, medical examiners;
- Psychologists, emergency medical technicians, dentists, nurses, chiropractors, podiatrists, optometrists, osteopaths;
- Public or private schoolteachers, educational administrators, guidance or family counselors;
- Office of Child Care Services licensors;
- Day care and child care workers, including any person paid to care for, or work with, a child in any public or private facility, or home or program funded or licensed by the Commonwealth, which provides day care or residential services. This includes child care resource and referral agencies, as well as voucher management agencies, family day care and child care food programs;
- Social workers, foster parents, probation officers, clerks magistrate of the district courts, and parole officers;
- Firefighters or police officers;
- School attendance officers, allied mental health and licensed human services professionals;
- Psychiatrists, and clinical social workers, drug and alcoholism counselors; and
- Priests, rabbis, clergy members, ordained or licensed ministers, leaders of any church or religious body, accredited Christian Science practitioners, or a person employed by a church or religious body to supervise, educate, teach, train or counsel a child on a regular basis.
Mandated reporters who are staff members of medical or other public or private institutions, schools or facilities, must either notify the Department directly or notify the person in charge of the institution, school or facility, or his/her designee, who then becomes responsible for filing the report. Should the designee/person in charge advise against filing, the staff member retains the right to contact DCF directly.
Massachusetts law requires mandated reporters to immediately make an oral report to the Department of Children and Families (DCF) when, in their professional capacity, they have reasonable cause to believe that a child under the age of 18 years is suffering from abuse or neglect. You should report any physical or emotional injury resulting from abuse, including sexual abuse; or any indication of neglect, including malnutrition; or any instance in which a child is determined to be physically dependent upon an addictive drug at birth.
After you file an oral report with DCF, a written report must be submitted to DCF within 48 hours after the oral report has been filed. Please note that any mandated reporter who fails to file required oral and written reports can be punished by a fine of up to $1,000.00.
During the screening and investigation of a 51A Report, any mandated reporter who has information that she believes might aid the Department in determining whether a child has been abused or neglected shall, upon request by DCF, disclose the relevant information to the Department. Under the law, mandated reporters are protected from liability in any civil or criminal action, and from any discriminatory or retaliatory actions by an employer.
Mandated Reporters Guides:
References to Massachusetts Law are citations from Chapter 119, sections 51A-E.
This information is provided by the Department of Children and Families.