Reporting Child Abuse - Iowa

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Iowa

 

Under Iowa law, certain individuals in their professional capacities (including social workers, employees of health care facilities, mental health professionals, school employees, employees of substance abuse programs, foster care facility employees, police officers, and others) are required to report any known or suspected child abuse within twenty-four hours to the Department of Human Services by telephone or in person. A written report is required within forty-eight hours. Any other person not specifically listed by this statute may make a report to the Department of Human Services regarding known or suspected child abuse.

The statute defines child abuse as any non-accidental physical injury, any mental injury, the commission of a sexual offense with or to the child, and the failure to provide food, clothing, shelter, or medical treatment to a child.

end_of_the_skype_highlightingLinks to the specific sections of the official Iowa Code online are not available. The mandatory child abuse reporting act is located in Title VI (Human Services), Subtitle 5 (Juveniles), Chapter 232 (Juvenile Justice), Sections 232.67 through 232.77 The link to the entire official Iowa Code online is:

http://search.legis.state.ia.us/nxt/gateway.dll/ic?f=templates&fn=default.htm

Links to the specific sections summarized above, including definitions, in an unofficial[1] version of the Code online, are available as follows:

http://www.legis.state.ia.us/IACODE/2001/232/68.html

http://www.legis.state.ia.us/IACODE/2001/232/69.html

http://www.legis.state.ia.us/IACODE/2001/232/70.html

For important information about the Iowa Child Abuse Reporting laws and how to make a report, see the Iowa Department of Human Services website:

http://www.dhs.iowa.gov/Consumers/Safety_and_Protection/Abuse_Reporting/ChildAbuse.html

Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-362-2178