Mandated Reporter Pennsylvania Resource Guide

Mandated reporters are professionals legally required to report suspected child abuse and neglect. In Pennsylvania, the Child Protective Services Law (CPSL) outlines these obligations.

This guide is your resource for mandated reporting in Pennsylvania. Discover who must report, how to report, and the training requirements mandated reporters should be aware of.

Guide to Mandated Reporting in Pennsylvania

Who is Considered a Mandated Reporter in Pennsylvania?

Pennsylvania law designates specific professionals as mandated reporters under the Child Protective Services Law (CPSL). These include:

Medical Professionals

• Physicians
• Dentists
• Nurses
• Medical examiners
• Coroners
• Funeral directors
• Emergency medical services providers

School Personnel and Childcare Providers

• School employees
• Childcare service employees
• Public library employees

Clergy

Clergy members, including priests, rabbis, ministers, Christian Science practitioners, religious healers, or spiritual leaders of any regularly established church or other religious organization

Law Enforcement and Legal Professionals

• Peace officers
• Law enforcement officials
• Attorneys affiliated with agencies responsible for child care

Social Services and Other Professionals

• Employees of social services agencies
• Foster parents
• Adults responsible for the welfare of a child in various residential settings

Are Pennsylvania Volunteers Mandated Reporters?

Additionally, any individual, paid or unpaid, who, based on their role in a program, activity, or service, is responsible for a child’s welfare or has direct contact with children is considered a mandated reporter.

Does Pennsylvania Allow Permissive Reporting?

Yes, Pennsylvania permits permissive reporting. Any person may make a report of suspected child abuse if that person has reasonable cause to suspect that a child is a victim of child abuse.

Permissive reports can be made by calling ChildLine at 1-800-932-0313.

Pennsylvania Mandated Reporter Training Requirements

Mandated reporters in Pennsylvania are required to undergo training to recognize and report child abuse.

Specifically, individuals applying for an initial license or certification from any health-related board must complete three hours of approved child abuse recognition and reporting training.

For license renewal, two hours of child abuse recognition and reporting training is required.

Are Employers Required to Provide Mandated Reporter Training in Pennsylvania?

Certain employers are required to provide mandated reporter training. For instance, Act 126 mandates that all school entities, including public schools, charter schools, private schools, and others, provide child abuse recognition and reporting training to all employees who have direct contact with children.

Mandated Reporting Procedures in Pennsylvania

How do you make a child abuse report in Pennsylvania?

Mandated reporters must make an immediate and direct report of suspected child abuse to ChildLine, Pennsylvania’s 24-hour hotline.

Report By Phone

Call 1-800-932-0313

Make a Written Report

If the initial report was made orally by phone, a written report must be submitted within 48 hours to the department or county agency assigned to the case.

Report Online

Through the Child Welfare Information Solution (CWIS) system. Make a report online.

After Reporting

After making the initial report, mandated reporters must inform the person in charge of their institution, school, facility, or agency about the report.

What Should a Report Include?

A report of suspected child abuse should include information about the child, including their name, age, and sex; family composition, and names of parents or guardians. Information about the suspected abuse, including where it occurred, the nature and extent of the abuse, and information about the person responsible.

The report shall contain information about the reporting person, including name, telephone number, and email address, and any actions taken by the person making the report. This includes actions taken under section 6314 (relating to photographs, medical tests and X-rays of child subject to report), 6315 (relating to taking child into protective custody), 6316 (relating to admission to private and public hospitals) or 6317 (relating to mandatory reporting and postmortem investigation of deaths).

Does Pennsylvania Have Timing Requirements for Reporting?

Yes, Pennsylvania requires reports to be made within a specific time period.

Immediately: Make a call. Immediately make an oral report to the Department of Human Services via the Statewide toll-free telephone number: 1-800-932-0313.

Within 48 Hours: Submit a written report. If the initial report was made orally by phone, a written report must be submitted within 48 hours to the department or county agency assigned to the case.

Following a Report: When a mandated reporter is required to report in the capacity as a member of the staff of a medical or other public or private institution, school, facility, or agency, that person shall report immediately. Following the initial report, the mandated reporter must notify the person in charge of the institution, school, facility, or agency, and the person in charge shall facilitate the cooperation of the organization with the investigation of the report. Only one report is required from each institution/ organization.

Protections for Mandated Reporters

Mandated reporters in Pennsylvania are granted immunity from civil and criminal liability when making a report of suspected child abuse in good faith. The law presumes the good faith of the reporter, providing legal protection unless actual malice is proven.

Any intimidation, retaliation, or obstruction in the investigation of a child abuse report is considered a misdemeanor criminal offense in Pennsylvania. It is upgraded to a felony offense if the act/ omission leads to death or serious injury.

What are the Penalties for Failing to Report?

Mandated reporters who willfully fail to report suspected child abuse may face criminal charges in Pennsylvania.

A misdemeanor offense applies when a mandated reporter knowingly neglects to report suspected abuse, even when they have reasonable cause to believe a child is in danger. If failure to report continues while the child is actively being abused, the offense is considered more severe.

In cases where the unreported abuse is a felony of the first degree or higher, or if the mandated reporter has direct knowledge of the abuse and still does not report it, failure to report can be escalated to a felony charge. Repeated failures to report can also result in felony charges, with increasing penalties for multiple offenses.

Pennsylvania Child Protection Services Law

The Child Protective Services Law (CPSL) is Pennsylvania’s legal framework designed to protect children from abuse and neglect. It outlines the responsibilities of mandated reporters, procedures for reporting, and the legal implications of failing to report.

Pennsylvania’s Mandated Reporter Hotline

If you suspect child abuse or neglect in Pennsylvania, contact ChildLine, the state’s 24-hour hotline:

Report By Phone: 1-800-932-0313

Online Reporting: Mandated reporters can submit reports electronically through the Child Welfare Information Solution (CWIS) system.

If you believe a child is in immediate danger, call 911 before contacting ChildLine.

The information provided in this post is for informational purposes only. It is not intended as legal advice or as a substitute for the particularized advice of your own counsel. Laws mentioned in this post are for example purposes only and may have changed since this post was published.