April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month—a theme that fits well with this month’s Violence Prevention Center’s White Ribbon Campaign. This month and throughout the year, Cook County Public Health and Human Services encourages all individuals and organizations to play a role in making Cook County a better place for children and families. By ensuring that parents have the knowledge, skills, and resources they need to care for their children, we can help promote children’s social and emotional wellbeing and prevent child maltreatment within families and communities.
Cook County PHHS also asks that people help protect children by reporting situations where they believe a child is being harmed. If a child is being abused or neglected, county social workers help to make sure the child is safe and works with the parents to teach, support and help the family make important changes so their children are not harmed again.
Minnesota law gives Cook County the authority and responsibility to investigate reports of abuse or neglect to a child when the perpetrator is a person in the child’s family or household; a licensed day care; or the child’s foster home.
Anyone may report if they know or suspect that a child is being abused or neglected or has been abused or neglected in the past three years. The name of the person reporting is confidential and will not be told to the person whom the report is about. Unless mandated by law, all reports are voluntary and may be made anonymously. If acting in good faith, the reporter is immune from civil and criminal liability.
When there is immediate danger: call 911 or law enforcement. When there is no immediate danger, call (218) 387-3620 and talk to the intake social worker. Call even if you are not sure whether to report. A social worker will assist you. When you call 387-3620 to report suspected child abuse or neglect, you will speak to a social worker who will record your information about the suspected maltreatment and, most likely, will ask you additional questions.
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