Report child abuse or neglect

Need to know

If a child is in immediate danger, call 911.

Children and Family Services (CFS) staff take reports of suspicion of abuse or neglect by parents and other caregivers in the home, and reports of sexual or labor exploitation of any child who resides in Marin even if the suspected exploiter is not a parent or caregiver.
Any incident of alleged or suspected child abuse, or a reasonable suspicion of abuse should be:
- Reported immediately or as soon as possible.
- Made using the CFS 24-Hour Abuse and Neglect Reporting Hotline
Mandated Reporters: Certain people are considered by law to be Mandated Reporters.
- For information on mandated reporting law, please see this handbook

Make sure you are in the child's primary residence county; in the event of split custody this may not always be Marin County.
- If you are unsure of the county of residence, hotline staff can consult with you and direct you to the appropriate county’s agency.
Have your contact information ready.
Be prepared to share as many details as possible about the situation including:
- Child’s name
- School
- Parents’ names
- Addresses
- Phone numbers
- Detailed concerns.
If you are calling as a Mandated Reporter you must provide:
- Your name
- Your contact information
- Please note: your identity as a Mandated Reporter is highly confidential.

For General Reports:

Prepare the right information (above)
Contact 415-473-7153, the Marin County CFS 24-Hour Abuse and Neglect Reporting Hotline

For Mandated Reporters:

Submit a verbal complaint (above)
Submit the Suspected Child Abuse Report (BCIA 8572) within 36 hours of your verbal complaint
Send in the completed form via:
1. Email: SCAR
2. Fax: 415-473-3279.

What's next content

Each report is assessed to determine the level of response/information required to protect the child(ren).
CFS will respond to all reports that rise to the legal standard of investigation, commonly within 24 hours or within ten (10) calendar days.
If an in-person response is not required but there is a concern of abuse or neglect by a parent or caregiver in the home, the report will still be documented in the state-wide child welfare services database.

Marin County Children and Family Services (CFS) 24-Hour Abuse and Neglect Reporting Hotline: 415-473-7153