The Child Protective Services Act of 1973 established the SCR as the primary recipient of calls regarding suspected abuse and maltreatment of children in New York State. Trained Child Protective Specialists receive calls through the toll-free telephone lines 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year [Social Services Law (SSL) §422(2)(a)].

Calls to the SCR come through the:

• Mandated Reporter Line (1-800-635-1522)
• Public Line (1-800-342-3720)
• Mandated Reporter Fax Line (1-800-635-1554)
• Hearing Impaired TTY Line (1-800-638-5163)

The SCR is equipped to receive calls from those who are Limited English Proficient (LEP) on either the public or mandated reporter line by use of a telephone language interpretation service. SCR functions as a single contact for reporting child abuse or maltreatment while child protective services (CPS) offices are found in each local department of social services.

Within 48 hours of an oral report, mandated reporters must file a signed, written report called: Report of Suspected Child Abuse or Maltreatment (LDSS-2221A). If as a mandated reporter you believe that a child is in immediate danger, call 911 or your local police department.

While anyone may make a report of suspected abuse, reports made by mandated reporters are more likely to be registered—accepted by the SCR for further investigation. It is likely because of better reporting based on training and professional awareness.

For more information see: https://ocfs.ny.gov/programs/cps/manual/.

Source: NYSOCFS, 2025.

New York Mandated Reporters
The following persons are mandated to report or cause a report to be made when they have reasonable cause to suspect that a child coming before them in their professional capacity is an abused or maltreated child [SSL §413(1)(a)]. (List periodically revised and updated through legislation)
Any physician Registered physician assistant Surgeon Medical Examiner Coroner Dentist Dental hygienist Osteopath Optometrist Chiropractor Podiatrist Resident Intern Psychologist Registered nurse Social Worker Emergency medical technician Licensed creative arts therapist Social services worker (See Section A.2, Reporting requirement applicable to social services workers only of this chapter for special requirements applicable to social services workers only) Employee of a publicly funded emergency shelter for families with children Director of a children's overnight camp, summer day camp or traveling summer day camp, as such camps are defined in Section 1392 of the Public Health Law Day care center worker School-age child-care worker Provider of family or group family day care	Licensed marriage and family therapist Licensed mental health counselor Licensed psychoanalyst Licensed behavior analyst Certified behavior analyst assistant Hospital personnel engaged in the admission, examination, care, or treatment of persons A Christian Science practitioner School official, which includes, but is not limited to, any school administrator, teacher, psychologist, social worker, nurse, guidance Counselor, or other school personnel required to hold a teaching or administrative license or certificate Full- or part-time compensated school employee required to hold a temporary coaching license or professional coaching certificate Employee or volunteer in a residential care facility for children that is licensed, certified, or operated by OCFS Mental health professional Substance abuse counselor Alcoholism counselor All persons credentialed by the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services Peace officer Police officer District attorney or assistant district attorney Investigator employed in the office of a district attorney Other law enforcement official

2.1 What Is a Mandated Reporter’s Role?

[Unless otherwise noted, this section is from NYS Social Services Law §413.]

While acting in their professional or official capacity, a mandated reporter’s role is to:

• Report suspected incidents of child abuse or maltreatment/neglect.
• Make the report to the Statewide Central Register immediately upon the development of reasonable cause to suspect child abuse or maltreatment.

A report is required when:

• A reporter has reasonable cause to suspect that a child coming before the reporter in his or her professional or official capacity is an abused or maltreated child.
• A reporter has reasonable cause to suspect that a child is an abused or maltreated child where the parent, guardian, custodian, or other person legally responsible for the child comes before them in their professional official capacity and states—from personal knowledge—facts, conditions, or circumstances that, if correct, would render the child an abused or maltreated child.

The law also states that (1) whenever a mandated reporter is required to report as a member of the staff of a medical or other public or private institution, school, facility, or agency, he or she shall make the report as required—reports must contain the names of all other staff persons with direct knowledge of the allegations—but the law does not require more than one report from the agency for a single incident; and, (2) no retaliatory personnel action is allowed.

2.2 Institutions with Multiple Mandated Reporters

[Unless otherwise noted, the following section is from [NYSOCFS, 2025].

Whenever someone is required to report in their capacity as a member of the staff of a medical or other public or private institution, school, facility, or agency, they shall make the report and immediately notify the person in charge of such institution, school, facility, or agency, or their designated agent [SSL §413(1)(b)].

The mandated reporter law is not intended to require more than one report from any institution, school, facility or agency on any one incident of suspected child abuse or maltreatment [SSL §413(1)(b)].

No institution, school, facility or agency is permitted to take any retaliatory personnel action against an employee who made a report to the SCR or to impose any conditions, including prior approval or prior notification, upon a member of its staff mandated to report suspected child abuse or maltreatment [SSL 413(1)(c)].

The Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) has provided guidance specifying how mandated reporters and organizations may fulfill their responsibility to report in situations in which there are multiple mandated reporters with direct knowledge of the situation. This guidance can serve to both facilitate the communication to the SCR of all pertinent information and relieve the burden for every mandated reporter with direct knowledge of the situation to call in separate reports.

Any person, institution, school, facility, agency, organization, partnership, or corporation that employs mandated reporters will provide all current and new employees with written information explaining reporting requirements. The employers are responsible for the costs associated with printing and distributing the written information.

Any state or local governmental agency or authorized agency that issues a license, certificate, or permit to an individual to operate a family daycare home or group family daycare home shall provide each person currently holding or seeking such a license, certificate, or permit with written information explaining the reporting requirements.

Any organization or person that employs mandated reporters, and whose employees, in the normal course of their employment, travel to locations where children reside, shall provide all such current and new employees with information on recognizing the signs of an unlawful methamphetamine laboratory. The office of alcoholism and substance abuse services shall provide employers with information on recognizing the signs of unlawful methamphetamine laboratories.

The Office of Children and Family Services shall update training issued to persons and officials required to report cases of suspected child abuse or maltreatment to include protocols to reduce implicit bias in the decision-making processes, strategies for identifying adverse childhood experiences, and guidelines to assist in recognizing signs of abuse or maltreatment while interacting virtually (NYS Senate, 2024, November 11).

2.3 Additional Requirements for Social Service Workers

Social services workers only are additionally required to report or cause a report to be made when any person comes before them in their professional or official capacity with information from personal knowledge that causes them to have reasonable cause to suspect that a child is an abused or maltreated child [SSL §413(1)(d)]. All other mandated reporters are required to report or cause a report to be made only when confronted with a child whom they suspect to be abused or maltreated or when a parent, guardian, custodian or other person legally responsible for a child provides information which, if true, would mean that child was abused or maltreated [SSL §413(1)(a)]. Further, any person is permitted to report any reasonable suspicion of abuse or maltreatment no matter how that information is brought to their attention [SSL §414], and OCFS encourages such reporting (NYSOFCS, 2025).

2.4 Alternatives to Reporting

Families in crisis may not meet the legal criteria required to call the SCR and may be better served by being connected to a variety of community services in their area. An alternative response is a response other than an investigation that determines if a child or family needs services. Alternative responses usually include the voluntary acceptance of CPS services. The term “disposition” is used when referring to both investigation response and alternative response (DHHS, 2023).

In New York, Family Assessment Response (FAR) is the state’s alternative Child Protective response to some reports of child maltreatment. FAR does not require an investigation and determination of allegations and individual culpability for families reported to the SCR (NYSOCFS, 2025).

2.4.1 Family Assessment Response (FAR)

To allow for a more flexible response to families reported to the SCR, New York State enacted a law authorizing a dual track child protective system [SSL §427-a]. The law prescribes the broad parameters of Family Assessment Response (FAR) and allows local departments of social services (LDSSs) that are authorized to establish a FAR program considerable flexibility to develop approaches that best match local resources, staffing capacity, and needs of families (NYSOCFS, 2025).

FAR is an alternative child protective response to reports of child abuse and maltreatment in which no formal determination is made as to whether a child was abused or maltreated and is based on principles of family involvement and support consistent with maintaining the safety of the child. In FAR, the family and CPS jointly participate in a comprehensive assessment of the family’s strengths, concerns, and needs, and plan for the provision of services that are responsive to the family’s needs and promote family stabilization, for the purpose of reducing risks to children in the family [18 NYCRR 432.13(a)(1)] (NYSOCFS, 2025).

2.4.2 H.E.A.R.S.

The OCFS H.E.A.R.S. program helps, empowers, advocates, reassures, and supports families by providing resources and referrals to a variety of services such as food, clothing, housing, childcare, parenting education, and more. Representatives are available to help Monday through Friday 8:30am-4:30pm. If you know a family that could use support, please ask them to call the OCFS HEARS family line at 888-554-3277.

2.4.3 NY Project Hope

NY Project Hope provides emotional support for New York State residents. This includes an Emotional Support Helpline (1-844-863-9314), Online Wellness Groups, and a website filled with supportive resources (NYProjectHope.org).

2.4.4 Prevent Child Abuse New York

Prevent Child Abuse New York also has a prevention and parent helpline available for parents and caregivers. It is confidential and multi-lingual and can refer or connect caregivers to community-based services. This helpline is available Monday through Friday from 9am-4pm at 1-800-CHILDREN.

2.4.5 Calling 211

Parents and caregivers may also call 2-1-1, operated by the United Way, for health and human services information, referrals, assessments, and crisis support to help them find the assistance they need to address the everyday challenges of living, as well as those that develop during times of disaster or other community emergencies. 2-1-1 is multi-lingual and available 24 hours a day 7 days a week.