Child Abuse Referral And Tracking Help and FAQs

Who to Contact for Help

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If you have any questions about your referral or Referral ID, please contact the Hotline at 1-877-237-0004 or 1-877-54ABUSE (1-877-542-2873).

Tracking

Where can I find my Referral ID?

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After you submitted your report, you should have received an email with the referral ID if you provided an email address. You can also find the referral ID on the confirmation page of your web referral.

Referrals

Should I report abuse/neglect?

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Tennessee Code Annotated 37-1-403(i) (1) requires all persons to report suspected cases of child abuse or neglect. "Any person who has knowledge of or is called upon to render aid to any child who is suffering from or has sustained any wound, injury, disability, or physical or mental condition, shall report such harm immediately if the harm is of such a nature as to reasonably indicated that it has been caused by brutality abuse, or neglect or that, on basis of available information, reasonably appears to have been caused by brutality, abuse, or neglect."

Tennessee Code Annotated 37-1-412 (a) states any person who knowingly fails to make a report of suspected child abuse commits a class A misdemeanor. A fine not to exceed $2,500 can be put in place.

What if the situation is a life-threatening emergency?

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Contact 911 immediately if the situation is a life-threatening emergency.

This reporting system is provided for your convenience to report suspected instances of abuse or neglect that took place in Tennessee and do not require an emergency response. An emergency is a situation where a child appears to face an immediate risk of abuse or neglect that could result in death or serious harm. If you have any doubts regarding if your referral is an emergency, please call the Hotline at 1-877-237-0004 or 1-877-54ABUSE (1-877-542-2873) instead of using this on-line referral application.

Who reviews the information I have submitted?

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Trained, degreed professionals at the Hotline assess the information you submit via the Internet. They are the same case managers you are accustomed to speaking with on the phone.

Is my information confidential? Do I have to give my name?

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Tennessee laws protect persons who report abuse or neglect. Tennessee Code Annotated 37-1-410 provides immunity from civil and criminal liability. Reporters do have the right to remain anonymous.

How secure is this application?

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The website's security is sufficient to permit HIPAA-covered entities to file reports of child abuse or neglect, as mandated by state law. The session between the reporter and the server is encrypted, using SSL, Secure Socket Layer technology. The transmission is secure. The data flow is one way, from the reporter to the server. The reporter cannot access any data submitted including his/her own.

Will I be notified of what happened to my referral?

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The reporter can receive a notification email letting them know whether or not their report has been assigned for investigation or assessment by the Tennessee Department of the Children's Services.

Why am I not able to print out the referral information?

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To ensure the information you report is confidential and secure, you cannot print or save the full referral to your computer.

Why does the application warn me it is going to time out?

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The application will time out after 30 minutes of idle time. This is done to minimize the possibility that a person other than the reporter might access confidential information in an incomplete referral.