• Making the decision to report can be based on: 1) observations of the child’s behaviour and other indicators of child abuse and/or family violence; 2) the child/adult’s disclosure, whether purposeful or accidental; and 3) other available information 

• It is not the responsibility of the individual making the report to prove that abuse has occurred. A report must be made even if one has suspicions about abuse. If one is unsure of whether or not to report, consult with a child protection worker to discuss the situation and ask for guidance. No one else (e.g., supervisor at work, a colleague, etc.) is in a legal position to decide if a report should be made 

• Consult with a child protection agency before informing a parent/caregiver that a suspicion of child abuse or family violence has been reported as such action could jeopardize the child and/or the investigation. Consultation is particularly important in the following circumstances:
  
  - the alleged abuser is a member of the child’s immediate family;
  - the child requires medical attention for injuries suspected to have been caused by child abuse or family violence;
  - there is a chance that the family will respond by immediately withdrawing the child from a program, or not be available for further investigation; and/or
  - there is a chance the child will be further abused
  

• In some situations, the cause of the child’s injuries, the nature of the child’s disclosure, or the behaviours observed are not clear. Before speaking with a child/parent to try and clarify the situation, consult with a child protection worker to discuss the appropriateness of clarifying a situation and to obtain direction. Be sure to ask the child protection worker anything that you are unsure about

Anyone who suspects that a child has been abused or is at risk for abuse has the legal and moral responsibility to immediately report the abuse to a child protection agency. Please click here to find information about the reporting process for your province/territory. 

Keep in mind that

• If you feel the child is in imminent danger, contact police 

• Child protection agencies provide service every day, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week 

• The individual suspecting the abuse must call directly to a child protection agency – do not ask anyone else to make the report for you or to help you decide if a report should be made. Inform your supervisor that you are making a report, but they or anyone else cannot stop you from doing so 

• No one should ever advise another person not to report suspicions of abuse, or try to stop the person from reporting/consulting with a child protection agency. There should be no sanctions or reprimands for staff who follow through on the legal duty to report or choose to consult with a child protection agency 

• Do not speak with anyone else, including your supervisor, about the details of your suspicions until after you have spoken with a child protection worker 

• During regular business hours, an intake worker will likely take the call, record the information, and direct the case to a child protection worker 

• Calls can be made after regular business hours, but will likely require leaving a message and return telephone number with an answering service. Indicate if the call is an urgent matter. A return call from an after-hours protection worker should follow soon after 

• Leaving a message with an answering service is not sufficient. It is necessary to speak with a child protection worker to make a report 

• If this is your first time calling a child protection agency, tell the worker that you are not familiar with the process 

• Although many jurisdictions may not require the individual calling to leave their name, this does not apply to all of Canada. Furthermore, an anonymous call makes it difficult for authorities to follow up on the case, gather information, and protect the child. It is expected that professionals working with children leave identifying information

If child abuse or family violence are suspected and not reported, the child(ren) may be at further risk. The individual(s) who suspects the abuse/violence and does not report is colluding with the family and/or alleged abuser in continuing to keep it a secret. There are also potential legal ramifications in the failure to report.

Further contact with a child protection agency should be initiated if:

• a child protection worker has not responded to calls or messages within a reasonable time;
  
• the individual reporting believes that concerns for the child have not been fully understood, there is a conflicting opinion about the urgency of the situation, or there is a question regarding how the case is being handled – a second opinion from a supervisor at the child protection agency may be requested;

• any further suspicions of abuse or any new information even after reporting. Do not assume that the child protection agency knows the present situation even if they are or have been involved with the family;

• there are changes in the family situation or that of the alleged abuser (e.g., family moves or an alleged abuser under a restraining order returns to the home);

• the identity of the alleged abuser is revealed; and/or

• the child does not return to the program as anticipated

* Please do not be concerned about the number of calls you need to make to a child protection agency or police.

Adapted from: Module 5 of ‘Making a Difference: The Community Responds to Child Abuse’ Resource Manual by Pearl Rimer (2012)