Keeping children safe is a shared responsibility. If you suspect a child has been neglected or abused, call 1.866.ENDHARM (1.866.363.4276). This is Washington’s toll-free, 24/7 hotline.
When you call, you will likely be asked:
- Child's name, address and age.
- Name and address of the child's parent or guardian.
- Nature and extent of the suspected abuse or neglect.
- Any evidence of previous incidents.
- Any other evidence that might establish the cause of the suspected abuse or neglect, and the perpetrator's identity.
The more information you provide, the better authorities can assess the child's risk.
Mandatory reporters
While any person who has cause to believe that a child has suffered abuse or neglect should report their suspicion, there are some people who are legally required to report suspected abuse or neglect. These are called mandatory reporters. To learn more about mandatory reporters and find the Mandated Reporter Toolkit, visit the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) Children’s Administration website. Additional information from DSHS includes:
- Protecting the Abused and Neglected Child: A Guide for Recognizing and Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect (English)
- The Protecting the Abused and Neglected Child booklet is available in Spanish from the DSHS's Publication Library.
- A presentation with embedded video All Children Deserve to be Safe.
Please Note: the Prezi format works best in Chrome or Firefox instead of Internet Explorer.
ENDHARM posters
Help Stop Abuse/1.866.ENDHARM posters are 11" x 17" and feature the DSHS toll-free 866-ENDHARM reporting number. The posters can be downloaded in several languages from the DSHS website.
Resources
The Child Welfare Information Gateway has valuable resources focused on child abuse and neglect:
- What is child abuse and neglect? Recognizing the signs and symptoms
- Preventing child abuse and neglect
- Long-term consequences of child abuse and neglect
- Parenting a child who has been sexually abused: A guide for foster and adoptive parents
- Sign up for Child Welfare Information Gateway's newsletter.