Last reviewed in April 2023 by the Clicklaw Editors

Child abuse can take different forms. It may be physical, sexual, emotional, or the result of neglect. If you believe that a child (a person under 19) needs protection, you have a legal duty to report the matter to the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) by contacting your local child welfare worker. You do not have to give your name. When a report is made to a child protection social worker, the worker will determine the most appropriate response. A response may include, among other things, making a report to the police or conducting a child protection investigation jointly with a police investigation.

Good starting points include:

• Reporting Child Abuse, from the provincial government, provides a quick overview of when and how to make a report and what you need to include.
• Reporting Suspected Child Abuse, from People's Law School, outlines what is considered child abuse, and what happens when someone makes a report.
• Responding to Child Welfare Concerns: Your Role in Knowing When and What to Report, from the provincial government, describes in more detail what to do if you think a child may be at risk of abuse or neglect, what the reporting process involves, and what happens next.
• Child or Young Victim, from the Government of BC, provides contact information for agencies that children, who are victims of crime and their parents, can contact.

Need more help?

• Contact a local child welfare worker by calling the MCFD office at 1-800-663-9122 or 604-660-4927 (Lower Mainland).
• Call Helpline for Children, from the provincial government, at 310-1234 (no area code needed).

See our related common questions:

• See all common questions about abuse & family violence
• See all common questions about children & teens
• See all common questions about family law
• See all common questions about victims of crime

tags

child abuse, reporting a crime, exploitation of children, child neglect, child protection, removal of a child from the home