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How to report child abuse

 

How to Report Child Abuse in Davidson County, NC

 

Davidson County Department of Social Services (DSS)

913 Greensboro Street, Lexington, NC  27295

211 W Colonial Drive, Thomasville, North Carolina 27360

336-242-2500

Business Hours:  Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

After Normal Business Hours: Call 911 and ask for the On-Call Social Worker

After-hours is defined as weekends, holidays, and any time after 5 p.m.

 

 

School Protocol for Reporting Child Abuse or Neglect:

Notify administration, school counselor, or the school social worker of the suspected child abuse or neglect.  If the child is in imminent danger and none of the above staff is available, please call DSS and make the report yourself.  Please notify administration, guidance, or the school social worker of your report immediately. Complete the required DCS Child Abuse Reporting Form.

 

**Administration, guidance, or your school social worker may ask you to report directly to DSS if have pertinent and/or direct information on the situation.**

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Purpose of Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect:

 

  1. The law states that EVERYONE is legally obligated to report suspected child abuse and neglect to protect children!  
  2. To strengthen families
 

** Reports can be made orally (by phone or in person at the Department of Social Services) or or in writing. Oral reports are the preferred method of reporting child abuse.

 

**The report must include demographic information (name, address, identifying information about the family, etc.), name & age of all children in the home, current whereabouts of the juveniles, extent of injury or condition resulting from maltreatment, and the reporter will be asked about the family’s strengths. DSS also wants to be aware of any safety concerns for the social worker entering the home. In essence, DSS wants to know: who, what, when, where, and why.

 

**It is important for reporters to identify themselves for the following reasons: so that the DSS Social Worker can contact the reporter if they have trouble locating the family, so that the reporter can be notified of what DSS does with their report, and if the child is removed from the home (by DSS) your testimony may be crucial to the court case.  DSS does not reveal the name of the reporter unless ordered to do so by a judge.

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What to Report: Physical Abuse, Sexual Abuse, Neglect, and Dependency (child does not have an adult caregiver)