How to Fill Out and Submit Alabama Form DHR-FCS-1593: Child Abuse/Neglect Report

Alabama Form DHR-FCS-1593 is the written follow-up to an oral child abuse or neglect report, filed by mandated reporters with the county Department of Human Resources office that took the initial call. It is not a standalone filing. You must phone in or deliver your report in person first, then submit the written form to create a permanent record of what you observed.¹

Call Your County DHR Before You Touch the Form

Alabama law requires mandated reporters to report orally, by telephone or direct in-person communication, immediately upon learning of or suspecting abuse or neglect.² Immediately means as soon as possible, not at the end of your shift.

Direct the oral report to the county DHR office where the child lives or where the suspected abuse occurred. You can also report to local law enforcement, which is then required to notify DHR.² County contact information is on the Alabama DHR site.³

On the call, be ready to share the child’s name, age, and address if you know them; the nature and extent of the injuries or conditions you observed; the names and contact information for the parents or caregivers; and your own identity and how you came to suspect abuse. Write down the name of the person who took the call and the date and time you reported. You will need all of it for the written form.

How to Fill Out Form DHR-FCS-1593

The form is a fillable PDF on the Alabama DHR website, and you can type directly into it before printing. Separate instructions are posted on the same page, and your county DHR office can provide a paper copy if you prefer.¹

The form asks for the same core facts you gave on the phone, in more detail and with your signature. Expect to provide:

Identifying information for the child, including full name, date of birth, and home address.
Names and contact information for the parents or guardians.
The suspected abuser’s relationship to the child, if known.
Your own identifying information and the capacity in which you learned of the abuse.
The name of the DHR worker who took your oral report, with the date and time of that call.

Writing the Narrative Section

The description of the suspected abuse or neglect is the part of the form that matters most. Be specific and factual. Describe exactly what you saw, heard, or were told. Note the date and time of your observations, the location, and the child’s physical or emotional condition.

If the child made a disclosure, record the child’s words as closely as you can remember them rather than paraphrasing. Avoid conclusions like “the parent is abusive.” Describe the bruise pattern, the child’s statements, or the living conditions you observed, and let investigators draw conclusions from the facts you provide.

Sign and date the form. Your signature confirms that you are submitting the report based on your knowledge or reasonable suspicion. The statute requires the written report to follow the oral one, so submit it promptly after your call.²

Where to Send the Form

Mail or fax the completed form directly to the county DHR office that received your oral report. Do not email it. DHR specifically warns against email submission.¹

Keep a copy of the form for your records, along with your fax confirmation page or mailing receipt. If questions come up later about what you reported and when, that paper trail protects you.

Who Is Required to File

If you are not sure whether the obligation applies to you, Alabama’s statute names a long list of mandated reporters: physicians, surgeons, nurses, dentists, optometrists, chiropractors, physical therapists, pharmacists, medical examiners, coroners, mental health professionals, social workers, day care workers, public and private K-12 employees, school teachers and officials, peace officers, law enforcement officials, employees of postsecondary and higher education institutions, and members of the clergy. It also covers anyone else called upon to provide aid or medical assistance to a child.²

One narrow exception: clergy are not required to report information learned solely through a confidential communication that is privileged under Rule 505 of the Alabama Rules of Evidence. Information learned outside that specific pastoral context still triggers the obligation.²

The legal standard for reporting is knowledge or suspicion. You do not need proof. If something about a child’s condition, behavior, or circumstances causes you to suspect abuse or neglect in your professional role, the obligation starts then. Waiting to confirm your suspicion before calling is not what the law requires.

Anyone who is not a mandated reporter can still file a report voluntarily. The form itself is designed for mandated reporters documenting what they observed or what was disclosed to them.

What Happens If You Skip the Written Report

A mandated reporter who knowingly fails to make a required report commits a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail, a fine of up to $500, or both.⁴ “Knowingly” means you were aware of facts that should have triggered a report and chose not to make one. Honest uncertainty about whether what you saw rises to the level of abuse is not a defense for staying silent; the standard is suspicion.

Professional consequences can follow as well. Licensing boards for teachers, nurses, social workers, and other regulated professions may take disciplinary action against members who violate mandatory reporting laws, up to and including license revocation.

Good-faith reporters are protected from civil and criminal liability. If you genuinely suspected abuse or neglect based on what you observed in your professional role, you cannot be successfully sued for making the report even if the investigation finds no abuse occurred, so long as the report was not knowingly false.

What to Expect After You Submit

Once DHR receives your report, it initiates an assessment. County staff must make contact with the family and the child. All children named in the report must be seen and privately interviewed if they are verbal; nonverbal children must be observed while awake. Other children in the household are also interviewed. The full assessment must be completed within ninety days of the date the report is received.⁵

If the report involves suspected abuse by a school employee related to discipline or corporal punishment, law enforcement conducts the investigation rather than DHR. Reports involving state-operated residential facilities are investigated by law enforcement in coordination with the operating state agency.⁵

As the reporter, you will not typically receive detailed updates about the investigation’s progress or outcome. Child welfare investigations are confidential, and your identity as the reporter is not disclosed to the family you reported. The agency’s obligation runs to the child’s safety, not to keeping you informed.

1
Alabama Department of Human Resources. Written Report of Suspected Child Abuse/Neglect for Mandated Reporters
2
Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code Title 26 Chapter 14 Section 26-14-3 – Mandatory Reporting
3
Alabama Department of Human Resources. Child Abuse/Neglect Reporting
4
Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code Title 26 Chapter 14 Section 26-14-13 – Penalty for Failure to Make Required Report
5
Alabama Administrative Code. Alabama Administrative Code 660-5-34-.05 – Approval Process for Child Abuse/Neglect Assessments