Reporting Child Abuse
All suspected child abuse and neglect must be reported to the Delaware Division of Family Services (DFS) Child Abuse and Neglect Report line at 1-800-292-9582 or online using the reporting portal that can be accessed at iseethesigns.org. 9-1-1 or any law enforcement agency may be contacted as well, but not in lieu of contacting DFS. Callers are not required to provide proof. Anyone who makes a good faith report based on reasonable grounds is immune from prosecution.
DFS is one point of entry for all reports of suspected abuse and neglect for all children and vulnerable adults. It is operational 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Professional, trained intake specialists will conduct guided interviews to assist the caller in providing critical information needed to assess the situation.
What information do I need to provide when calling DFS?
- Demographic information
- Describe the abuse or neglect or why the child is at risk of child abuse or neglect
- Known information about the parents or siblings
- Known information about the alleged child victim’s physical health, mental health, educational issues or parents or siblings
- Is the alleged child victim in need of medical attention for injuries?
- Known information that could put the child’s or worker’s safety in peril such as the presence of alcohol, drugs, weapons, dangerous animal, or criminal behaviors
Mandated reporting:
Delaware law mandates any person, agency, organization or entity to make an immediate oral report by contacting the Child Abuse and Neglect Report Line for the Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families when they know of, or suspect, child abuse or neglect under Chapter 9 of Title 16 of the Delaware Code and to follow-up with any requested written report.
The person and entities required to file these mandatory reports include, but are not limited to:
- Physicians
- Persons in the healing arts (such as dentists, interns or residents, nurses, social workers, and psychologists)
- School employees
- Medical examiners
- Hospitals or other health care institutions
- Medical Society of Delawre
- Law enforcement agencies
What is Imminent Danger?
Imminent danger is defined as an emergency situation in which the welfare or life of the child is threatened. Such an emergency situation exists when there is reasonable cause to believe that any of the following conditions threaten the health or life of any child in the home:
- Non accidental trauma inflicted by a parent, guardian, custodian, sibling, babysitter or other caretaker which can include intentionally inflicted major bodily damage such as broken bones, major burns or lacerations or bodily beatings. This condition also includes the medical diagnosis of battered child syndrome which is a combination of physical and other signs indicating a pattern of abuse; or
- Sexually abused or sexually exploited; or
- Nutritional deprivation; or
- Abandonment by the parents, guardian or custodian; or
- Inadequate treatment of serious illness or disease; or
- Substantial emotional injury inflicted by a parent, guardian or custodian; or
- Sale or attempted sale of the child by the parent, guardian or custodian; or
- The parent, guardian or custodian’s abuse of alcohol, or drugs or other controlled substance has impaired his or her parenting skills to a degree as to pose an imminent risk to a child’s health or safety.
Resources for Parents or Guardians Who Need a Hand
In Delaware, there’s a resource that expectant parents, as well as parents or guardians of young children, can take advantage of called Help Me Grow. Parents or guardians can call 2-1-1 if they need to be connected to resources within the community to help manage issues, whether it’s facing multiple challenges such as single parenthood or needing access to low income services and support (i.e. POC, Medicaid, TANF). 211 is a centralized telephone access point to connect families to appropriate community resources in a timely manner. HMG also serves as a resource to parents or guardians with general issues and concerns related to their child’s development. The 211 hotline has specialized call takers as well, so when parents or guardians call, they should either enter the prompt for Help Me Grow or ask the call specialist to connect them with this unit.
https://dethrives.com/help-me-grow