Anoka County Child Protection Home Page
Child Maltreatment Reporting Form
Minnesota Child Maltreatment Screening Guidelines
FAQs
Links
Who do I contact if I suspect child abuse?
If the child is in immediate danger, call 911 or Anoka County 763-427-1212.
Immediate danger – If you know or suspect that a child is in immediate danger (such as a recent sexual assault or a serious physical assault) or the child is abandoned, contact your local law enforcement agency right away.
No immediate danger - To report suspected abuse or neglect of a child living in Anoka County, please call 763-422-7125. You may also print the Child Maltreatment Report Form on this web site and FAX it to 763-422-6929. The identity of the reporter will be treated as confidential information.
Who must report?
Voluntary: Anyone may voluntarily report suspected child abuse or neglect. Persons who work with children or families are legally required to report suspected child abuse or neglect.
Mandated: Minnesota law mandates that any person whose job involves working professionally with children and who has reason to believe that a child is being neglected or physically or sexually abused shall immediately report the suspected incident to local police or child protection agency. A verbal report must be made within 24 hours. For more information on mandated reporting, please see A Resource Guide for Mandated Reporters (edocs.dhs.state.mn.us/lfserver/legacy/dhs-2917-ENG).
What should I do if a child reports abuse to me?
First of all, be calm. Let the child tell you in his or her own words. Leave questioning about details to authorities. Tell the child he/she is not in trouble and that it was the right thing to tell you about what happened. Let the child know you are going to get help. Report what the child told you to the police or Anoka County Child Protection.
What information do I need to report?
Report the child’s name, age, and address or school, the reason for the report, and any other pertinent information you have. If known, report the alleged offender and relationship with the child, parents’ names and address, and telephone number.
What protection do I have as a reporter?
Under Minnesota law, you are immune from liability if the report was made in good faith. Your identity is not disclosed unless you consent, or the court orders disclosure upon a showing the report was false and made in bad faith, or court rules require disclosure in a criminal proceeding.
Can I get into trouble for making a report?
If a report to authorities is made in good faith, Minnesota Statute 626.556, Subd.4, protects them with immunity from liability.
What is physical abuse?
Physical abuse is when a parent, guardian, or other person responsible for the child's care hurts a child, causing any physical injury, other than by accident. This includes any physical injury to a child that cannot reasonably be explained by the person responsible for the child's care, based on a history of injuries.
The following are conditions of physical abuse that should be reported:
Child has suffered an injury that appears to be non-accidental in nature
Child has suffered an injury and the parent or guardian seems unconcerned, denies anything is wrong, or gives unlikely or contradictory explanations
There is a strong possibility that the child is in immediate danger of physical injury based on the likelihood that excessive force was used (i.e. choking, punching, shaking, biting, tying, caging)
What is child neglect?
Harm to a child that results from what a parent or caretaker do NOT do is called child neglect. It differs from child abuse though both abuse and neglect may cause harm. For a Minnesota State definition of child neglect, see pp. 12-18 of the Minnesota Child Maltreatment Screening Guidelines (edocs.dhs.state.mn.us/lfserver/Legacy/DHS-5144-ENG).
Child neglect is continued failure by parents or caretakers to provide a child with needed care and protection. Examples of what may constitute a report of child neglect are:
Inadequate food, clothing, shelter, or medical care
Abandonment
Exposure to threatening or endangering conditions
Educational neglect
Prenatal exposure to substance abuse. For more on this topic, see pp 17 and 18 Minnesota Child Maltreatment Screening Guidelines (edocs.dhs.state.mn.us/lfserver/Legacy/DHS-5144-ENG).
Inadequate supervision. For more on this topic talk with an Anoka County child protection worker at 763-422-7125 and see pp. 16 and 17 of the Minnesota Child Maltreatment Screening Guidelines (edocs.dhs.state.mn.us/lfserver/Legacy/DHS-5144-ENG).
Child has suffered a physical injury as a result of hazardous conditions uncorrected by parent or guardian
Child suffers injury or risk of injury due to domestic violence
Exposure to, or involvement in, criminal activities
What is sexual abuse?
Sexual abuse within the child protection system is based on Minnesota Statutes 626.556 and is defined as criminal sexual conduct with a child by a person responsible or the child’s care, or by a person who has a significant relationship to the child. A description of sexual abuse can be found in the Minnesota Child Maltreatment Screening Guidelines (edocs.dhs.state.mn.us/lfserver/Legacy/DHS-5144-ENG).
What is emotional abuse?
Emotional abuse or maltreatment is consistently or deliberately inflicting mental harm on a child by a person responsible for the child’s care. The treatment has an observable, sustained, adverse effect on the child’s physical, mental or emotional development.