Report Abuse1-800-252-5400

Step One – Gather Information
There are several pieces of information that the CPS intake worker will be looking to obtain from someone making a report of suspected child abuse. As you are preparing to make a report to CPS, consider the following items before calling.

• The child or children at risk including names when possible
• The nature of the harm or risk
  • What kind of abuse?
  • What is the child's condition?
  • What emotional, behavioral, or physical problems does the child have?
• The persons involved
  • Who is responsible for the child's care and custody?
  • Who is the individual(s) causing the harm or putting the child at risk?
  • What is this person's relationship to the child?
  • Try to get names when possible.
• Locating information of both alleged victim and alleged perpetrator
  • Phone numbers - home and work
  • Identifying information (for both alleged victim and other children involved)
  • Child's age or birth date
  • Description of child

Step Two – Make the Report
To make a report of suspected child abuse, call Statewide Intake Hotline at 1-800-252-5400. This number is answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week. DFPS is located in Austin where a group of caseworkers answer and take all the child abuse reports for the state. BE PATIENT!

Be specific in your report. Include as much of the above information as is possible. Failing to gather the specific details of the suspected abuse, especially the kind of injuries and the alleged perpetrator, may prevent DFPS from investigating the case since they cannot meet the established definitions of child abuse. It is also important that you not tell the child's parents that you are reporting suspected child abuse to DFPS. Telling them that you are doing so could potentially endanger the child or cause one of the parents's to interfere with the investigation. If the child is in immediate danger, call the police (911). They can respond immediately and will inform CPS.

After the Report

Determining Case Priority
Once CPS has determined whether or not the statutory definitions of abuse have been met, they proceed to determining the case priority, 1 or 2. Priority 1 (P1) indicates that a child is in immediate danger and that a CPS caseworker needs to visit the family within 24 hours of the intake call. Priority 2 (P2) cases cover all other reports of abuse in which the intake worker has determined the definitions of abuse have been met. In this case, the CPS caseworker has 10 days to visit the families and assess the situation. The following are other things that DFPS in Austin will consider when classifying a case as Priority 1 or 2 (Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services, 1996).

• Frequency and duration of the same behavior or similar incidents that have been reported to Child Protective Services
• Previous history of abuse or neglect
• Extent, location and severity of child's injury
• Age of the child

The Investigation
Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services, 1996

When a case of reported abuse is assigned to a CPS unit, a worker will receive the information and will then complete a full investigation of the allegations. The worker may interview the family, child and any other collateral source that has information concerning the family. The caseworker must investigate each allegation identified for the investigation and provide a disposition concerning each.

Once the caseworker has completed the investigation process, he/she will make an assessment about whether or not abuse has occurred. If abuse is confirmed, the investigator considers the remaining parent, family or caregivers available to the child and intervention options are considered. The following are intervention options available through Child Protective Services:

Low-Risk Casework Services

• Volunteer services such as Family Outreach

Low to moderate risk casework services

• Caseworker works with the family 10 hours per month
• Provides supportive services such as parenting, counseling, child care, and job support

High risk Casework Services

• Intensive support services
• Two face-to-face contacts with the family per week
• In-home parenting, counseling, and intense monitoring

Removal from Home
Child can be removed from the home immediately, if immediate danger exists. This occurs only in the most serious cases. The child is placed in a foster home or possibly with a relative while services are provided to the parents to enable them to care for the child safely, so the child can eventually return home.

Supervisory approval must be obtained prior to removal of a child from their home, and the matter is presented to a juvenile court judge within 24 hours of the decision to remove. The judge makes the decision to remove the child from the home.