This Department is committed to ensuring our children are safe from abuse, neglect and exploitation.
All reports made to authorities are confidential.
Everyone has a responsibility to report child abuse. The number of substantiated cases dropped 33.6 percent, from 3,284 in 1990 to 2,183 in 1999. This follows a national trend that began six years ago, where the number of victimized children has decreased approximately 19 percent nationally since 1993. However, reports of abuse or neglect have risen 15.3 percent since 1990, in part because of the public's increased awareness, Schied said.