Summit County Children Services (SCCS) is the child welfare agency in Summit County, Ohio, mandated to assess reports of child abuse and neglect. A mandated reporter is one who is required by law to report suspicions of child abuse and neglect either to the local child welfare agency or to law enforcement. Regardless of the specific mandated reporter law, all adults should report suspected abuse and neglect to protect children.
To make a confidential report of child abuse and neglect, call SCCS’ 24-hour child abuse and neglect hotline at (330) 434-KIDS (5437). Your call will be answered by trained social work professionals who will ask you questions about the suspected child abuse and neglect.
IMPORTANT! If you suspect a child’s safety or well-being is at immediate risk or in danger, please call 911. You should never make a report of child abuse and neglect to SCCS online or through email or any social media platforms. Always call the 24-hour child abuse and neglect hotline.
Below are frequently asked questions about the reporting process.
You must report immediately, without delay. The law states that you must report whenever you know or have reasonable cause to suspect that a child under age 18, or a mentally or developmentally disabled or physically impaired child under age 21 has suffered or faces a threat of suffering any physical or mental wound, injury, disability or condition of a nature that reasonably indicates abuse or neglect of the child.
DOWNLOAD – Recognizing Child Abuse & Neglect Booklet
No! A mandated reporter must personally report known or suspected child abuse and neglect.
You may make a report by calling SCCS’ 24-hour child abuse and neglect hotline at (330) 434-KIDS (5437) or contacting your local law enforcement agency. For child abuse or neglect emergencies, call any time during the day, night, weekends or holidays. Individuals calling SCCS from within Summit County may call collect.
No! Once you know of or suspected case of child abuse or neglect, it must be reported immediately. The proper authorities will assess the matter.
When a child reports abuse or neglect to you, it is very important that you listen without expressing anger or disbelief. Children first need to know that they are believed and that the abuse or neglect is not their fault. Listen attentively and ask only open-ended questions, like “then what happened?” If possible, determine what happened, where and when it happened, and by whom. This is sometimes called a “minimal fact” interview. However, do not ask leading questions or try to draw out information, even if you are certain you know the answers. This can re-traumatize the child and contaminate the investigation. Do not attempt further investigation on your own. Make a report immediately to law enforcement, SCCS, or both. If the child has been physically injured, a description of the injury will be requested, and you will be asked to provide as much information that is known regarding the injury. Do not make false promises to the child like keeping the disclosure confidential. Trained investigators need to gather facts and details, and this may involve talking to the child. You do not need to have proof of sexual abuse to make a good faith report, only reasonable suspicion that it has occurred.
Yes! Mandated reporters are always immune from liability. Also, anyone reporting child abuse and neglect in good faith has immunity under the law.
At a minimum, you will need to provide the name, address, and age of the child, the name(s) and address(es) of the parents or guardians, and the nature of the abuse or neglect. The name of the perpetrator and the relationship to the child as well as any other details of the abuse or neglect are helpful, but if the child does not readily supply this information, do not continue to question or investigate further. If accepted as a report, law enforcement or SCCS casework staff will perform the investigation, and you can add details to a report if they later become available. You are entitled to follow up at any point on a report to child protective services, which must provide you with current investigation status.
Yes! The reports and the identities of those who make the reports are confidential by law. However, if a case proceeds to court, you could be called as a witness.
Your report of suspected child abuse or neglect will be reviewed by trained social workers to determine if the allegations meet the legal definition of abuse, neglect or dependency. SCCS’ objective is to protect the child and provide services to the family aimed at reducing stress factors which resulted in child abuse or neglect. If necessary, SCCS will initiate Juvenile Court action to protect the child. Law enforcement will determine whether there is criminal culpability requiring prosecution and, when indicated, shall initiate criminal prosecution.
There are legal penalties for failure to report. Failure to report suspected child abuse and neglect violates the Ohio Revised Code and is a misdemeanor of the fourth degree punishable by up to thirty (30) days in jail and/or a fine up to $250. In addition, civil liability may also exist.
It is best not to contact parents about your suspicions before making a report. Doing so could result in retribution against the child, destruction of evidence, or temporary removal of a perpetrator from the home. Under some conditions you may need to maintain open communication with the parent. When this happens, never accuse a parent of wrongdoing and explain that you are legally responsible to report.
The law encourages everyone to report suspected child abuse and neglect. The following professionals who work with children are required to report:
Child abuse includes, but is not limited to the following, when intentionally inflicted on a child under the age of 18: physical injury, intimate partner violence (domestic violence), access to drugs/drug paraphernalia, positive toxicology, and ingestion. Child abuse can occur at any time within any family, neighborhood or community.
Child neglect defined by Ohio Revised Code, Section 2151.03
Child neglect includes, but is not limited to the following:
Child neglect can occur at any time within any family, neighborhood or community.
Child sexual abuse defined by Ohio Revised Code, Section 2151.031
Sexual abuse includes, but is not limited to:
Child sexual abuse can occur at any time within any family, neighborhood or community.
Mental injury defined by Ohio Revised Code, Section 2151.011(B)(24)
‘Mental injury’ means any behavioral, cognitive, emotional or mental disorder in a child caused by an act of omission (described in ORC, Section 2919.22) and is committed by the parent or other person responsible for the child’s care.
Mental injury can occur at any time within any family, neighborhood or community.
Dependent child defined by Ohio Revised Code, Section 2151.04
A ‘dependent child’ is any child:
Deserted child defined by Ohio Revised Code, Section 2151.3515
A ‘deserted child’ is a child whose parent has voluntarily delivered the child to an emergency medical service worker, peace officer or hospital employee without expressing an intent to return for the child.
For more information, read Ohio’s Reporting Law for Child Abuse and Neglect.
School teachers, school administrators and other school authorities should report known or suspected child abuse or neglect by calling Summit County Children Services (SCCS) or their local police department. The report must be made by the original observer. The legal mandate to report cannot be delegated to another person.
Yes! The law gives SCCS social workers the authority to take photographs of areas of trauma visible on the child. If the SCCS social worker is a female, it is suggested that a male school authority assist in taking photographs of a male child, and vice versa.
No. Once school personnel know or suspect child abuse or neglect has occurred, the law requires that they report to SCCS or to their local law enforcement official.
Yes. Applicable law (Ohio Administrative Code, section 5101:2-36-03) permits Children Services to interview a child at school subject to the consent of the school and without consent of the parent in the following situations:
Should an alleged child victim (ACV) provide information during an interview that indicates a sibling might be in immediate danger of serious harm or that the sibling could provide information regarding immediate danger or serious harm to the ACV, the interview of the sibling who was not identified as an ACV may commence.
No. The social worker is responsible for interviewing the child. A school official is not required but may be present to provide comfort to the child as a trusted adult.
This is possible only if the social worker has obtained an emergency custody order from Summit County Juvenile Court, has parental permission or is accompanied by a law enforcement officer who removes the child under the authority of Juvenile Rule 6.
Clerics and designated church leaders (but not church volunteers) are mandated reporters and should report whenever such a person knows or has reasonable cause to suspect child abuse and neglect. A cleric is not required to report information received in a cleric-penitent relationship if there is civil or criminal testimonial privilege, unless:
No. The social worker is responsible for interviewing the child. A school official is not required but may be present to provide comfort to the child as a trusted adult.
This is possible only if the social worker has obtained an emergency custody order from Summit County Juvenile Court, has parental permission or is accompanied by a law enforcement officer who removes the child under the authority of Juvenile Rule 6.
