Should I Make a Report?

Should I Make a Report?

If you are unsure whether or not you should make a report, call the intake worker at 507.377.5400. The Child Protection staff can help you decide if a report should be made based on the information you provide. If you are a voluntary reporter, you can choose to make an anonymous report. The identity of the reporter is always kept confidential.

Additional Information

After you have made the report, the Child Protection staff will screen the report to determine if it meets criteria to proceed with an investigation. You can ask to receive notification of the final investigation report determining whether or not abuse/neglect occurred. However, sometimes this information cannot be released due to data privacy and/or the health and safety of the minor child. Reporters' names are confidential and retaliation is prohibited and penalized.

Sometimes there may be concerns for a child that is being served by an institution and/or program. If such abuse/neglect did occur by a staff person at any of the following institutions and/or programs, the reporter can contact the Minnesota Department of Human Services, Division of Licensing at 651.297.4123.

  • childcare center 
  • residential treatment center 
  • group home for children 
  • minor parent program 
  • shelter for children 
  • chemical dependency treatment program for adolescents 
  • waivered services program for children 
  • crisis respite service program for children 
  • residential service program for children with developmental disabilities

If the alleged abuse/neglect occurred in a home health care setting, hospital, regional treatment center, nursing home or intermediate care facility for the mentally retarded, contact the Minnesota Department of Health, Office of Health Complaints at 651.215.8702 or 800.369.7994.

If the alleged perpetrator is employed by a public preschool, elementary school, middle school, secondary school or charter school and the child is a student in the school, contact the Minnesota Department of Children, Families and Learning at 651.582.8546.