Cross-Reporting Among Agencies That Respond to Child Abuse and Neglect - Alaska

Cross-Reporting Between Child Protective Services and Law Enforcement

Citation: Alaska Stat. §§ 47.17.020; 47.17.025

If the person making a report of harm cannot reasonably contact the nearest office of the Department of Health and Social Services and immediate action is necessary for the well-being of the child, the person shall make the report to a peace officer. The peace officer shall immediately take action to protect the child and shall, at the earliest opportunity, notify the nearest office of the department.

The department shall immediately notify the nearest law enforcement agency under any of the following circumstances:

• The department concludes that the harm was caused by a person who is not responsible for the child's welfare.
• The department is unable to determine who caused the harm to the child or whether the person who is believed to have caused the harm has responsibility for the child's welfare.
• The department concludes that the report involves either of the following:
  • Possible criminal sex abuse or sex offenses, including sex offenses committed by a minor against a minor>li>Abuse or neglect that results in the need for medical treatment of the child

A law enforcement agency shall immediately notify the department of the receipt of a report of harm to a child from abuse. Upon receipt from any source of a report of harm to a child from abuse, the department shall notify the Department of Law and investigate the report and, within 72 hours of the receipt of the report, shall provide a written report of its investigation of the harm to a child from abuse to the Department of Law for review.

Other Reporting Requirements

Citation: Alaska Stat. § 47.17.020; Child Protective Serv. Man., § 2.2.5

If a law enforcement agency determines that a child has been abused or neglected and that (1) the harm was caused by a teacher or other person employed by the school or school district in which the child is enrolled, (2) the harm occurred during an activity sponsored by the school or school district, or (3) the harm occurred on the premises of the school or on the premises of a school within the district in which the child is enrolled, the law enforcement agency shall notify the chief administrative officer of the school or district in which the child is enrolled immediately after the agency determines that a child has been abused or neglected under the circumstances set out in this section. If the person about whom the report has been made is the chief administrative officer or a member of the chief administrative officer's immediate family, the law enforcement agency shall notify the commissioner of Education and Early Development that the child has been abused or neglected under the circumstances set out in this section. The notification must set out the factual basis for the law enforcement agency€™s determination. If the notification involves a person in the teaching profession, the law enforcement agency shall send a copy of the notification to the Professional Teaching Practices Commission.

In policy: If the report of abuse or neglect involves an Indian child, the Office of Children's Services will make diligent efforts to identify the child's Tribe and notify the child's Tribe or the local community Tribe of the existence of the report as soon as practicable.

If the child is a member of an active-duty military family, the child protective services specialist will do the following:

• Notify the local military personnel designated by State and regional protocol agreements
• Coordinate the initial assessment with the designated military personnel