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The End of Anonymous Reporting
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What do the states of New York and Texas* have in common? Not much, you might say, at least when it comes to size, population density, state income taxes, or politics.
However, both states have the distinction of being the only two out of our 50 that now require callers to the State Central Registry (SCR) to provide their name and contact information when making a report of suspected child abuse or neglect.
As of June 17th of this year, the New York State Central Register of Child Abuse and Maltreatment is no longer allowed to transmit a report to CPS for investigation unless the caller’s name and contact information are provided. The only exception is if the caller is a child under the age of 18.
*Texas was the first state to end anonymous reporting in 2023. California passed a confidential reporting law in 2024, requiring all callers to provide their names and phone numbers, with the assurance that their information will not be disclosed.
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The Anti-Harassment in Reporting Act
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You may be surprised to learn that there isn’t one national SCR. Each state sets its own laws for reporting child abuse or neglect.
Up until last year, when the Anti-Harassment in Reporting Act was signed into law in New York State, reports were allowed to come into our state’s SCR anonymously. An anonymous report means the caller did not provide any identifying information.
“The concern the legislation is intending to address is that some people use the child welfare system in a malicious or spiteful manner—making calls not out of true concern for child safety, but as a mechanism to harass a parent or caretaker,” said Julie Nichols, Administrative Caseworker for the Monroe County Department of Child and Family Services.
Major proponents of the bill were domestic violence advocates, legal aid groups, and family defense clinics. Groups opposing the bill included some child welfare advocates and lawmakers who favored anonymous calls to the SCR to eliminate any barriers to reporting child maltreatment.
“Prior to this year, roughly 7% of reports in NYS were from anonymous sources,” said Nichols. “Now every report made has to have a name and phone number associated with it to begin a formal investigation.”
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History of Reporting Systems
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Child abuse reporting systems originated in the 1960s. During this decade, mandatory reporting and Child Protective Services were established. By 1967, all 50 states had adopted some form of child abuse reporting laws.
New York State first implemented anonymous reporting when the Statewide Central Register of Child Abuse and Maltreatment (SCR) was originally established and opened under the Child Protective Services Act of 1973.
In 1974, the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) was passed, which required states to establish protective systems—such as hotlines and investigative agencies—in exchange for federal funding.
For decades, anonymous reporting was not only allowed, it was encouraged. Around 2020, criticism against it started building, with civil rights and legal groups asserting that anonymous reports were being weaponized and used disproportionally against working-class families.
Supporters for ending anonymous reporting argued that false reports were being made to harass families, domestic partners, or people involved in custody disputes, leading to unnecessary investigations.
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The intent behind anonymous reporting was to protect children by lowering the barriers to reporting. The rationale was that neighbors, friends and relatives would feel more comfortable reporting if their identities were not revealed—thereby encouraging valid tips from people in the community and reducing the fear of retaliation from the parents or family.
“CPS has always kept our sources confidential,” said Nichols, “then and now. We never disclose the source of a report to families during an investigation, so the confidential piece remains intact with this new legislation.”
Nichols stated that anonymous reporting had been controversial, as some reports called in were malicious or retaliatory in nature. These reports—when false and not truly about child safety—burden the system and take time and resources away from those families who do need it. In addition, there was no way to assess a caller’s credibility with anonymous reports.
“There is a lack of understanding of the system, so it’s important for people to understand the law and nuance of the new legislation,” she said.
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Out of the 137,215 reports that were received last year by the New York State SCR, 100,694 (73.4%) were made by mandated reporters. (Data provided by the Monitoring and Analysis Profiles (MAPS) for the New York State Office of Children and Family Services).
“Mandated reporters have always been required to leave their contact information, so this new legislation doesn’t impact them,” said Nichols. “But it’s useful for mandated reporters to know about the change in law, as they might be in a situation where someone, like a concerned family member, is afraid to make a report.”
Nichols stressed that we want to avoid overlooking cases of suspected child abuse or neglect because witnesses are afraid to identify themselves.
“The main benefit of this new legislation is that people aren’t going to be able to use the system to harass other individuals anymore,” she said, “which means higher quality of reports.”
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RESOURCES:
New York State Child Abuse Hotline
1 (800) 342-3720 (for general public)
1 (800) 635-1522 (for mandated reporters)
OCFS HEARS Family Line
(Help, Empower, Advocate, Reassure and Support)
1-888-55HEARS (1-888-554-3277)
Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m.-8:00 p.m.
https://ocfs.ny.gov/programs/cwcs/hears.php
The HEARS Line connects people with existing resources in the community and empowers them to utilize those resources. The HEARS Line intentionally exists outside of traditional child welfare to reduce both the stigma and fear people have about seeking help.
MyWayfinder
https://community.my-wayfinder.org/
The MyWayfinder platform offers a large database of local providers, making it simple to search for and connect with a wide range of essential services to find the support you need.
211 Life Line
Search for Community Resources
https://211lifeline.org/search.php
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