Reporting Child Abuse
Any individual concerned for a child can report child abuse or neglect. If you suspect a child under the age of 18 is being abused or neglected, or is at risk for abuse or neglect, you should make a report to DHHR’s Centralized Intake and your local law enforcement agency. Centralized Intake, the WV Child Abuse Hotline number, is 1-800-352-6513.
Centralized Intake 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 Centralized Intake?
- Any safety threats for first responders
- General functioning of child/adult and caregivers
- Does the alleged perpetrator have access to the child/adult?
- Is there a protective caregiver present?
- Location of the child/adult and caregivers
- Is the child/adult in imminent danger?
- Type of abuse or neglect suspected
- Demographic information
Mandated reporting:
In West Virginia, certain persons whose occupation brings them into contact with children on a regular basis are mandated to report suspected child abuse or neglect. Those who are required to report include:
- Commercial film or photographic print processor.
- Employee, coach or volunteer of an entity that provides organized activities for children; and
- Youth camp administrator or counselor;
- Employees of the division of juvenile services;
- Humane officers;
- Circuit court judges, family court judges or magistrates;
- Members of the clergy;
- Peace officers or law-enforcement officials;
- Emergency medical services personnel;
- Child care or foster care workers;
- Social service workers;
- School teachers or other school personnel;
- Religious healers;
- Christian Science practitioners;
- Medical, dental or mental health professionals;
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:
- 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.
- Sale or attempted sale of the child by the parent, guardian or custodian; or
- Substantial emotional injury inflicted by a parent, guardian or custodian; or
- Inadequate treatment of serious illness or disease; or
- Abandonment by the parents, guardian or custodian; or
- Nutritional deprivation; or
- Sexually abused or sexually exploited; or
- 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