Child Welfare Information Gateway
Skip to main content
  • U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
  • Administration for Children & Families
  • Children's Bureau
Child Welfare Information Gateway
REPORT ABUSE OR
NEGLECT
FIND HELP WITH A
PERSONAL SITUATION   

Home Topics Publications Library State Resources More Tools & Resources News & Events
REPORT ABUSE OR
NEGLECT
FIND HELP WITH A
PERSONAL SITUATION   
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Chat
  • Free Subscriptions
  • Resources in Spanish
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Chat
  • Resources in Spanish
  • Shopping Cart
  • Home
  • Topics
    • Family-Centered Practice
      • Philosophy and Key Elements of Family-Centered Practice
      • Family-Centered Practice Across the Service Continuum
      • Engaging Families
      • Family-Centered Casework Practice
      • Family Group Decision-Making
      • Engaging Communities to Support Families
      • Creating a Family-Centered Agency Culture
    • Child Abuse & Neglect
      • Definitions of Child Abuse & Neglect
      • Identification of Child Abuse & Neglect
      • Risk Factors That Contribute to Child Abuse and Neglect
      • People Who Engage in Child Abuse or Neglect
      • Impact of Child Abuse & Neglect
      • Child Abuse & Neglect Fatalities
    • Preventing Child Abuse & Neglect
      • National Child Abuse Prevention Month
      • Overview: Preventing Child Abuse & Neglect
      • Promoting Child & Family Well-Being
      • Public Awareness & Creating Supportive Communities
      • Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Programs
      • Developing & Sustaining Prevention Programs
      • Evidence-Based Practice for Child Abuse Prevention
      • Evaluating Prevention Programs
    • Responding to Child Abuse & Neglect
      • Introduction to Responding to Child Abuse & Neglect
      • Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect
      • Assessment in Child Protection
      • Differential Response in Child Protective Services
      • Child Protection Casework Practice
      • Responding to Child Maltreatment Near Fatalities and Fatalities
      • Trauma-Informed Practice in Child Welfare
      • Collaborative Responses to Child Abuse & Neglect
    • Supporting & Preserving Families
      • Supporting Families With Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders
      • Introduction to Family Support and Preservation
      • In-Home Services Involved With Child Protection
      • Family Support Services
      • Resources for Managers of Family Support and Preservation Services
      • Family Preservation Services
    • Out-of-Home Care
      • National Foster Care Month
      • Overview: Out-of-Home Care
      • Foster Care
      • Group and Residential Care
      • Kinship Care
      • Casework Practice in Out-of-Home Care
      • Transition to Adulthood and Independent Living
      • Placement Decisions
      • Resources for Foster Families
    • Achieving & Maintaining Permanency
      • Overview: Achieving & Maintaining Permanency
      • Reunifying Families
      • Recruiting and Retaining Resource Families
      • Permanency With Relatives and Kin
      • Guardianship
      • Permanency for Specific Youth Populations
      • Legal and Court Issues in Permanency
      • Interjurisdictional Placements
      • Working With Children, Youth, and Families in Permanency Planning
      • Working With Children, Youth, and Families After Permanency
      • Resources for Administrators and Managers About Permanency
      • Resources for Families About Permanency
    • Adoption
      • National Adoption Month
      • All-In Foster Adoption Challenge
      • Children's Bureau Adoption Call to Action
      • Adoption and Guardianship Assistance by State
      • Introduction to Adoption
      • Ethical Issues in Adoption
      • For Adopted People
      • For Adoption Program Managers & Administrators
      • For Expectant Parents Considering Adoption and Birth Parents
      • How to Adopt
      • Laws Related to Adoption
      • Parenting After Adoption
      • Preplacement Adoption Casework Practice
      • Postplacement Adoption Casework Practice
      • Search & Reunion in Adoption
    • Management & Supervision
      • Administering & Managing Child Welfare Agencies & Programs
      • Child Welfare Practice Improvement
      • Disaster Preparedness & Response
      • Ethical Practice & Client Rights
      • Evaluating Program and Practice Effectiveness
      • Funding
      • Information Systems & Data
      • Supervising Child Welfare Services
      • System Reform
      • Training
      • Workforce
    • Systemwide
      • Assessment
      • Behavioral Health & Wellness
      • Courts
      • Cultural Responsiveness
      • Diverse Populations and Communities
      • Domestic Violence
      • Human Trafficking
      • Laws & Policies
      • Service Array
      • Statistics
      • Well-Being
      • Youth
  • Publications
    • Publications Series
    • Browse by Topic
    • Browse by Title
    • índice de Títulos en Español (Spanish Title Index)
  • Library
    • Library Services
    • Library Search Help
  • State Resources
    • State Statutes
    • National Foster Care & Adoption Directory
    • State Guides & Manuals Search
    • State-Related Organizations Lists
    • Adoption and Guardianship Assistance by State
  • More Tools & Resources
    • Related Organizations
    • Learning Center
    • Resources From the Children's Bureau
      • Children's Bureau Discretionary Grants
      • The Story of the Children's Bureau
      • Children's Bureau Video Series
    • Child Welfare Information Gateway Podcast Series
    • Multimedia
      • Videos
      • Webinars
    • Family Engagement Inventory
  • News & Events
    • Free Subscriptions
    • Adoption Triad
    • Children's Bureau Express (CBX)
    • The Grantee Connection
    • New on Information Gateway
    • New From the Children's Bureau
    • Event Calendar
  • Home
  • Topics
  • Responding to Child Abuse & Neglect
  • Collaborative Responses to Child Abuse & Neglect
  • Role of Law Enforcement in Responding to Child Abuse and Neglect

Role of Law Enforcement in Responding to Child Abuse and Neglect

Members of law enforcement often respond to and become involved in a variety of types of child abuse and neglect investigations, such as in cases of sexual abuse, physical abuse or neglect, domestic violence, child fatalities, human trafficking, and more. On this page, find resources and training materials to support the collaboration between law enforcement and child welfare agencies. Resources include State and local examples.

Child Protection: Law Enforcement (PDF - 527 KB) 
Harp (2020)
InFocus 
Outlines the mission of the U.S. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to protect children and highlights the agency’s efforts to investigate cases of missing, abducted, and exploited children; ensure that victims receive trauma-informed care; and bring offenders to justice.

Family Surveillance: Police and the Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect
Edwards (2019)
Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences, 5(1)
Examines police reports of child abuse and neglect and explores racial inequities in child welfare outcomes.

How Does Involvement With Law Enforcement Impact the Reporting of Child Abuse and Neglect?
Casey Family Programs (2020) 
Presents findings from a study that seeks to understand the relationship between law enforcement and child protection and how reporting of child abuse and neglect is affected by involvement with law enforcement. Results of the study showed exposure to law enforcement plays a role in determining which children come into contact with child protection. 

Law Enforcement Response to Child Abuse (PDF - 2,365 KB)
U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (2014)
Explains law enforcement's role in child abuse cases, which spans the entire case from the initial call, through the investigation, and to the court proceedings. Law enforcement officers investigate to determine if a criminal law has been violated; identify and apprehend the offender; file criminal charges; and provide guidance and support to the child, family, and child welfare agencies involved. 

Responses to the Problem of Child Abuse and Neglect in the Home
Arizona State University, Center for Problem-Oriented Policing
Outlines law enforcement considerations for an effective response to child abuse and neglect in the home and includes a section on multidisciplinary teams and their response to child maltreatment allegations.

What Are Some Examples of Real-Time Information Sharing Between Child Protection and Law Enforcement? 
Casey Family Programs (2019) 
Explains the need for information sharing between child protective services and law enforcement when it comes to data such as prior maltreatment reports, arrests, and convictions so that good decisions can be made about child safety. The resource presents jurisdictional examples in Los Angeles and New York City that show how to achieve effective information sharing and collaboration with law enforcement. 

(Back to Top)

State and local examples

The Child Abuse Response Team (CART)
For the Child
Describes the role of the Child Abuse Response Team in California, which provides support and services to children during necessary medical exams and law enforcement interviews.

Coordination With Law Enforcement (PDF - 100 KB)
Florida Department of Children and Families (2021)
Outlines how child welfare professionals in Florida should coordinate with law enforcement in cases of child abuse or neglect.

Greensboro Child Response Initiative
Kellin Foundation
Presents a trauma-informed, mental health–law enforcement model, which aims to mitigate traumatic stress in children exposed to violence.

Milwaukee County Joint Protocol on a Collaborative Response to Child Maltreatment (PDF - 1,157 KB)
Wisconsin Department of Children and Families (2020)
Discusses a collaborative response system used in cases of child abuse and neglect in Milwaukee County, WI, to minimize trauma to children while maximizing child safety.

Project Harmony
Omaha Police Department
Provides information on a multidisciplinary team in Omaha, NE, that consists of law enforcement professionals, child welfare investigators, social services, medical professionals, and others who work together to respond to cases of child abuse and neglect.

(Back to Top)

Spotlight On

What is Child Welfare? A Guide for Law Enforcement
Child Welfare Information Gateway
(2018)

Children's Bureau - An office of the Administration for Children and Families

Child Welfare Information Gateway is a service of the

  • Children’s Bureau
  • Administration for Children and Families
  • U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
↑ Back to top
  • HOME
  • TOPICS
    • Family-Centered Practice
    • Child Abuse & Neglect
    • Preventing Child Abuse & Neglect
    • Responding to Child Abuse & Neglect
    • Supporting & Preserving Families
    • Out-of-Home Care
    • Achieving & Maintaining Permanency
    • Adoption
    • Management & Supervision
    • Systemwide
  • National Initiatives
    • National Adoption Month
    • National Child Abuse Prevention Month
    • National Foster Care Month
  • Publications
    • Publications Series
    • Browse by Title
    • Browse by Topic
    • Índice de Títulos en Español
  • Library
    • Search the Library
  • State Resources
    • State Statutes
    • National Foster Care & Adoption Directory
    • State Guides & Manuals
    • State Related Organizations Lists
    • Adoption Assistance by State
  • More Tools & Resources
    • Related Organizations
    • Learning Center
    • Children's Bureau Resources
    • Information Gateway Podcast
    • Multimedia
    • Family Engagement Inventory
  • NEWS AND EVENTS
    • New on Information Gateway
    • New From the Children's Bureau
    • Event Calendar
  • ABOUT US
    • How to Report Child Abuse or Neglect
    • Find Help With a Personal Situation
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Glossary
    • Search A to Z
  • Contact Us
    • 1-800-394-3366
    • info@childwelfare.gov
    • Subscribe to Free Updates
    • Chat With Us
  • Follow us on Facebook
  • Follow us on Twitter
  • Follow us on YouTube
  • POLICIES & HELPFUL LINKS
    • Disclaimer and Policies
    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility
    • FOIA requests
    • No FEAR Act data
    • Office of the Inspector General
    • Performance reports
    • Vulnerability Disclosure Policy
    • USA.gov
    • Download Acrobat Reader
  • ↑ Back to top