What To Do If You Suspect Child Abuse. . .

If you suspect a child is being abused CALL the Illinois Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-25 ABUSE (22873) or contact your local law enforcement agency to make a report. 

Don't wait until you can "prove" child abuse -- make your report whenever your worries about the safety of a child turn into suspicions that the child is being abused or neglected.

Some examples include:

• If you suspect a child is being sexually abused
• If you see someone hitting a child with an object.
• If you see marks on a child's body that do not appear to have been caused by accident.
• If a child tells you that he or she has been harmed by someone.
• If a child appears to be undernourished, is dressed inappropriately for the weather, or is young and has been left alone.

These are a few situations when you should call the hotline. Use your own judgment and call the hotline whenever you think a child has been abused or neglected.

Once a report has been taken by either DCFS or law enforcement, the County Multidisciplinary Team, made up of team members from DCFS, law enforcement, prosecution and the CAC, will begin working together to investigate the report.