Illinois DCFS hotline professionals will handle nearly 125,000 reports of child abuse and neglect this year. Child abuse is the mistreatment of a child under the age of 18 by a parent, caretaker, someone living in their home or someone who works with or around children. The mistreatment must cause injury or must put the child at risk of physical injury. Child abuse can be physical (such as burns or broken bones), sexual (such as fondling or incest) or emotional.
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You should call the child abuse hotline whenever you believe that a person who is caring for the child, who lives with the child, or who works with or around children has caused injury or harm or put the child at risk of physical injury as defined in the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act. Some examples include:

• If you see someone hitting a child with an object
• If you see marks on a child's body that do not appear to have been caused by accident.
• If a child tells you that he or she has been harmed by someone
• If a child appears to be undernourished, is dressed inappropriately for the weather, or is young and has been left alone.

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Some situations do not require calling the hotline. Use good judgment. Call only when you think a child has been or will be injured as described above. Some examples of when you should not call the hotline include:

• Situations where a child is causing a problem that concerns you, but the problem is not related to abuse or neglect. In some cases you may wish to call law enforcement or talk to the child's parents or relatives.
• Domestic situations where family stress is evident, but the child has not been abused or at risk of abuse. Community service agencies are often available to help.
• If you're seeking information about Illinois DCFS or its programs, the DCFS Office of Communications is available to answer questions. Call (217)785-1700, or you may call your local DCFS office.

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Hotline staff are social workers with special training in determining what constitutes child abuse and neglect under Illinois law. Details are important. Ideally, you should be able to tell the Hotline worker:

• The child's name, address and age.
• The nature of the suspected abuse or neglect, including when and where it occurred.
• The names of suspected perpetrators and their relationship to the child (parent, teacher, etc.).
• Any other information you think may help

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When you call, a hotline social worker will listen to what you wish to report. The worker will then ask questions to help gather enough information to determine whether to take a formal report. If there is not enough information to make a report, the worker will tell you so and answer any questions you may have.

If a formal report is taken, a child protection investigator will begin the investigation within 24 hours -- much sooner if the child is considered in immediate risk of harm.
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People who report alleged child abuse or neglect in good faith cannot be held liable for damages under criminal or civil law. In addition, their names are not given to the person they name as the abuser or to anyone else unless ordered by a hearing officer or judge. Members of the general public may make reports without giving their names.
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Always call the child abuse hotline. However, you should also consider calling the police -- especially in emergencies or when the child has been injured.
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