Do not report abuse directly to Mary Lee’s House. Mary Lee’s House only serves children that are referred to them by other agencies.

There are four ways to make a report:         

• By telephone 1-800-96-ABUSE (1-800-962-2873)
• By fax 1-800-914-0004
• By TDD 1-800-453-5145
• Web reporting http://www.state.fl.us/cf_web

What information should I have ready when I make the call?

• Child’s name, possible responsible person, or alleged perpetrators name
• Complete addresses for child (if available), license plate number, any identifiable information
• Telephone numbers (if available)
• Age or actual dates of birth if known
• What happened to the child, type of abuse (neglect, physical, sexual, emotional)
• Who has harmed the child
• Gather as much information as you can, and when you call the Abuse Hotline, the counselor will make a determination based on the information you have available at the time of the call.

What happens after I make the call?
If it is accepted, the Hotline counselor sends a typed report of the allegations to the local investigation county office where the victim is located. After the report is sent to the local office, the report is assigned to a Child Protective Investigator (CPI) who is then responsible for conducting an investigation on the allegations called in.

How soon does DCF respond to the home?
If accepted, all child abuse reports are submitted to the Department of Children and Families within one hour after you make the call. The Child Protection Investigator (CPI) has up to 24 hours to initiate an investigation.

Types of child abuse/maltreatment to be aware of:

Physical Abuse
When a caregiver uses physical force against a child that results in, or has the potential to result in, physical injury. Physical acts can include: hitting, kicking, punching, beating, stabbing, biting, pushing, shoving, throwing, pulling, dragging, dropping, shaking, strangling/choking, smothering, burning, scalding, and poisoning.

Sexual Abuse
When a caregiver attempts to have sexual contact with or exploits a child. There are many ways an adult can attempt sexual contact with a child, some ways include but are not limited to, intentional touching either directly or through the clothing of the child’s private parts or breast area, acts which expose the child to sexual activity, filming of the child in a sexual nature, sexual harassment of a child, and child sex trafficking.

Emotional/Psychological Abuse
When a caregiver tells a child that he or she is worthless, flawed, unloved, unwanted, endangered, or valued only in meeting another’s needs. Psychologically abusive behaviors include: blaming, belittling, degrading, intimidating, terrorizing, isolating, restraining, confining, corrupting, exploiting, spurring.

Neglect
When a caregiver fails to provide needed food, clothing, shelter, medical care, or supervision which can put the child’s health, safety, and well-being at risk. Examples include:

• Physical neglect – failure to provide food, clothing, shelter, and hygiene.
• Emotional neglect – allowing the child to witness domestic violence, a refusal/delay in mental health services for the child, inconsistent nurturing or affection and isolation.
• Medical/dental neglect – failure to provide timely medical care (injuries, dental carries, treatment for chronic diseases such as asthma or diabetes.
• Educational neglect – failure to enroll a child of mandatory school age in school or allowing the child to become truant.
• Failure to supervise – leaving the child alone or in the care of someone who either is unable or should not be trusted to provide care for a child.