Child Protective Services (CPS)

The mission of Child Protective Services (CPS) is to ensure that children under the age of 18 are protected and families are supported to achieve safety, permanency and well-being.

Child Abuse occurs when a parent or other person legally responsible inflicts serious physical injury, creates a substantial risk of serious physical injury, or sexually abuses the child.

A person can be guilty of abusing a child if they allow someone else to do these things to that child.

Child Maltreatment occurs when a parent or other person legally responsible harms a child, or places a child in imminent danger of harm by failing to provide the child with food, clothing, shelter, education or medical care when financially able to do so. To assist in identifying Educational Neglect please refer to Reporting Educational Neglect (.pdf) 

How to Report

Reports of suspected child abuse or maltreatment should be made immediately at any time of the day and any day of the week by telephone to the New York Statewide Central Register of Child Abuse and Maltreatment (sometimes referred to as the State Central Register or SCR).

• Public Child Abuse Hotline Number: 1-800-342-3720
• Mandated Reporter Hotline Number: 1-800-635-1522

The Child Protective Specialist who answers your call will determine if the information is sufficient to register a report. You do NOT need to know names, ages, or identify of everyone in the home. 

What happens after I make a report? 

The report is assigned to a Child Protective Service Worker in the county in which the family resides for an investigation of the allegation. 

How will I know what happens after I make the Report?

You may not know; the law requires CPS to work under very strict confidentiality rules. If you suspect abuse or neglect is still occurring, you should make another report to the hotline.