LegalRequirementstoReportChildAbuseandAdultAbuse-Virginia.doc

Legal Requirements to Report Child Abuse and Adult Abuse Child Abuse Report Child Abuse/Neglect to Child Protective Services (CPS) In Virginia: (800) 552-7096 Out-of-state: (804) 786-8536 Hearing-impaired: (800) 828-1120 The Virginia Department of Social Services operates a CPS Hotline 24/7 to support local departments of social services by receiving reports of child abuse and neglect and referring them to the appropriate local department of social services. The CPS Hotline is staffed by trained social workers. Code of Virginia requires reporting of child abuse as follows: § 63.2-1509. Requirement that certain injuries to children be reported by physicians, nurses, teachers, etc.; penalty for failure to report. A. The following persons who, in their professional or official capacity, have reason to suspect that a child is an abused or neglected child, shall report the matter immediately to the local department of the county or city wherein the child resides or wherein the abuse or neglect is believed to have occurred or to the Departments toll-free child abuse and neglect hotline: 1. Any person licensed to practice medicine or any of the healing arts; 2. Any hospital resident or intern, and any person employed in the nursing profession; 3. Any person employed as a social worker or family-services specialist; 4. Any probation officer; 5. Any teacher or other person employed in a public or private school, kindergarten or nursery school; 6. Any person providing full-time or part-time child care for pay on a regularly planned basis; 7. Any mental health professional; 8. Any law-enforcement officer or animal control officer; 9. Any mediator eligible to receive court referrals pursuant to § 8.01-576.8; 10. Any professional staff person, not previously enumerated, employed by a private or state-operated hospital, institution or facility to which children have been committed or where children have been placed for care and treatment; 11. Any person 18 years of age or