We are often the first adults to see signs of abuse and/or neglect, we are trained professionals who are uniquely qualified to protect children from abuse and/or neglect, reports are consistently more reliable than reports from the public, and we provide the best leads to children in need of protection and services.

You are required to immediately make a report to the local police department or the child abuse reporting hotline if you have reasonable cause to know or suspect that a child has been subjected to abuse or neglect or you have observed a child being subjected to circumstances or conditions that would reasonably result in abuse or neglect.

Immediately call the Denver Police Department (DPD) or the Child Abuse Hotline as soon as you have reasonable cause to suspect abuse or neglect. Do not investigate further.

• 911 or DPD Non-Emergency Number – (720) 913-2000
• Hotline – 1-844-CO-4-KIDS
  • May be asked to follow up immediately with a written report or to contact DPD.

These are the ONLY 2 ways to comply with the Mandatory Reporter Law!

Call the Denver Police Department if:

• The suspected perpetrator is not a parent, guardian, legal custodian, or sibling living in the home.
• Referred to as a “third party”
• Includes when DPS employees are the alleged perpetrator
• DPD Non-Emergency Number: 720-913-2000

Call 911 if:

• A child is in imminent risk.
• Abuse occurred in your presence, has just occurred, or there is a reasonable basis to believe further abuse will occur if immediate action is not taken. 
  
• Any time you call the police, follow up with a call to the Department of Safety: 720-423-33911.

Call the Department of Human Services if:

• You know or suspect intrafamilial abuse or neglect is taking place or has taken place in the past, but was not reported. The suspected perpetrator may be a parent, guardian, legal custodian, or sibling living in the home or may be a family member who lives in another location. 
• Colorado Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline: 1-844-264-5437. 
  
  

• Reporting suspicions of child abuse and/or neglect to your supervisor, the Department of Safety, a counselor, and/or anyone else DOES NOT relieve you of your responsibility to report.  
• Calling Safe-2-Tell DOES NOT relieve you of your responsibility to report.  
• No one can veto or tell you NOT to report.

Reasonable cause is personal to the individual. Review the facts as you understand them and evaluate whether the standard has been met based on the factual information you have. 

Did a student, parent, or someone else make an outcry or allegation of abuse? Did you observe unexplained bruises or other injuries? Have you witnessed concerning behavior?

Ultimate responsibility for reporting “lies with the school official or employee who had the original concern.” If you have questions, reference Policy JLF and Regulation JLF-R.

Abuse or neglect look like the following:

• Any case where a child exhibits evidence of bruising, bleeding, scarring, burns, fractures, concussion, soft tissue swelling.  
• Any case where a parent, guardian, or custodian fails to take the same actions to provide adequate food, clothing, shelter, medical care, or supervision that a prudent parent would take.  
• Any time a child may be subjected to unlawful sexual behavior by any person (child or adult).  
• Any case of emotional abuse which is an identifiable and substantial impairment or risk of impairment of the child’s intellectual or psychological functioning.  
• Abandonment of child, lack of proper parental care, or child is a runaway.  
• Child is in an environment that is injurious to his or her welfare.

School employees are required to report to DPD if they have reasonable belief that an at risk adult is being mistreated or is at imminent risk of mistreatment. Don’t forget about students in our eighteen to twenty-one year old transition program!

It is the law and it is your job, but even more importantly, reporting:

• Protects the victim and other children in the home and prevents harm to other children to whom the person responsible for abuse and/or neglect may have access;
• Helps provide services to families and children; and - promotes positive changes in families.

You cannot be held liable – in either a civil lawsuit or criminal case – or terminated from employment for reporting suspected child abuse or neglect “in good faith.”  It will be presumed that you are acting in good faith. Any counter-argument must be disproved in court by showing that your behavior was “willful, wanton, AND malicious.” This requires both an “evil motive” – intent to harm, AND no factual basis to believe that the individual engaged in activities which would require the reporter to report.

You could be charged with a class 3 misdemeanor, $750 fine and/or up to six months in jail AND be held liable for “damages proximately caused” by the failure to report.

Better to make a report now than wonder about it later. If you still have questions, you can call:

• The Department of Safety: 720-423-33911
• Your contact in Legal: 720-423-3393
• SEO Student Safety Coordinator: 303-514-7063

Each of these resources can help, but when in doubt, make a report!