Student safety
Recognize. Report. Protect.
If you suspect abuse, neglect, or abandonment, make a report. You do not need to investigate or prove a concern before contacting the hotline.
Immediate danger? Call 911.
For an emergency or a person in immediate danger, call 911 now.
Report suspected abuse
The Florida Abuse Hotline receives reports of suspected child abuse, neglect, and abandonment, as well as abuse, neglect, or exploitation of vulnerable adults.
Hotline: 1-800-96-ABUSE (1-800-962-2873)
Fax: 1-800-914-0004
Use the phone hotline for an urgent concern. Online reporting is not an emergency service.
Know the signs
Abuse can include physical injury, sexual abuse, and mental injury. Neglect and abandonment can involve a caregiver’s failure to provide necessary supervision, food, shelter, medical care, or protection.
Warning signs may include unexplained injuries, fear of a caregiver, sudden changes in behavior, repeated unmet basic needs, or a child describing harmful contact. A sign alone does not establish abuse, but concerns should be reported to those responsible for assessing them.
What information helps?
- The child’s name, age, and location, if known.
- The person responsible for the child and the person involved in the concern.
- What you observed or what was disclosed to you.
- When the concern occurred and whether there is an immediate safety risk.
Provide what you know. Do not delay a report because some details are missing.
School reporting responsibilities
EWCCA employees are expected to report concerns affecting the health, safety, or welfare of students. Internal reporting is in addition to required reports to the Florida Abuse Hotline.