The Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention and Treatment Act, as amended (42 U.S.C. 5106a) requires States to make provision for the cooperation of State law enforcement officials and State agencies providing human services in the investigation, assessment, prosecution and treatment of child abuse or neglect.

All 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Territories have statutes specifying procedures that State agencies must follow in handling reports of suspected child abuse or neglect. In most States, these procedures include requirements for cross-systemic reporting and/or information sharing among professional entities. Typically, reports are shared among social services agencies, law enforcement departments and prosecutors' offices.

State Statutes Search

The State Statutes Search provides information on how each State's statutes address child abuse and neglect and child welfare.

This Ready Reference is a product of the Child Abuse and Neglect State Statutes Series prepared by the National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information. Ready Reference publications contain excerpts of text with citations from specific sections of each State's code that focus on a single issue of special interest. While every attempt has been made to be as complete as possible, additional information on these topics may be in other sections of a State's code as well as in agency regulations, case law, and informal practices and procedures.