Georgia’s mandated reporter form is submitted through the state Child Protective Services portal at cps.dhs.ga.gov, by phone to the Centralized Intake line at 1-855-422-4453, or by fax to 229-317-9663. If you have reasonable cause to believe a child has been abused or neglected, you must file within 24 hours. Before the online portal will let you create an account, you have to complete a free one-hour mandated reporter training course, so finishing that in advance is the single most useful thing you can do before you ever need to file.
Finish the Training Before You Need the Portal
The electronic portal is gated. You cannot create an account or submit a report online until you have completed a mandated reporter training course and received an access code. The course is free, runs about an hour, and is hosted through ProSolutions Training. It covers indicators of abuse and neglect, your legal responsibilities, and which children face higher risk. Passing the course test gives you a printable certificate, an access code, and IACET continuing education credits at no cost.1Georgia Department of Human Services. Georgia Child Protective Services Mandated Reporter Form
This is where first-time reporters get stuck. If you wait until you suspect abuse to start the course, you have burned an hour of the 24-hour reporting window. Complete it when you first enter a mandated reporter role. In-person training is also available through Prevent Child Abuse Georgia, facilitated by the Georgia Office of the Child Advocate.2Georgia Office of the Child Advocate. Mandated Reporting
What the Form Requires
Georgia law sets a short list of statutory minimums for what a report must contain under O.C.G.A. § 19-7-5(e)(2):
- The child’s full name, age, and current address
- The names and addresses of the parents or caretakers, if known
- The nature and extent of the child’s injuries, including any evidence of previous injuries
- Any other information you believe could help identify the cause of the injuries or the person responsible
Those are the floor.3Justia. Georgia Code 19-7-5 – Reporting of Child Abuse In practice, more context helps intake staff prioritize the case and helps a caseworker locate the child. Add the name of the child’s school or daycare, the date and time of what you observed, and any changes in behavior you have noticed. If other children live in the same household, say so. They may face the same risk.
Describe What You Saw, Not What You Concluded
Stick to firsthand observation. “The child had a bruise approximately two inches long on the left forearm and said her mother hit her with a belt” is useful. “I think the parents are bad people” is not. Intake specialists screen reports against specific legal definitions of abuse and neglect, so factual detail carries weight that conclusions do not. Describe visible injuries, direct statements the child made, environmental hazards in the home, and how often you have seen the concerning behavior. You are not expected to investigate. Georgia law puts that job on the caseworker.2Georgia Office of the Child Advocate. Mandated Reporting
Neglect Is Not the Same as Poverty
A child who comes to school hungry or in clothes that do not fit is not necessarily being neglected. Federal child welfare guidance draws a line between parents who are unable to provide because they lack resources and those who are unwilling to provide despite having the means.4Child Welfare Information Gateway. Separating Poverty From Neglect If a family’s situation would improve with a referral to food assistance or housing support, that referral is the right first step. If you genuinely suspect harm or persistent deprivation of basic needs, file the report and let the caseworker sort out the cause.
The Three Ways to Submit
Your report must be made within 24 hours of the moment you develop reasonable cause to suspect abuse.3Justia. Georgia Code 19-7-5 – Reporting of Child Abuse
Online Portal
Go to cps.dhs.ga.gov. Log in with the credentials you created after completing the training, fill out the report fields, review your entries, and submit. Save any confirmation number you receive. One quirk worth knowing: the portal requires Google Chrome. Switch browsers before you start if you use something else. If the site is down, call the hotline instead.1Georgia Department of Human Services. Georgia Child Protective Services Mandated Reporter Form
Phone
Call 1-855-422-4453 (1-855-GACHILD) any time, day or night, seven days a week. This is Georgia’s Centralized Intake line and the fastest option when a child appears to be in immediate danger.5Georgia Department of Human Services. Child Abuse and Neglect If you make an oral report, the agency can later request a written follow-up.2Georgia Office of the Child Advocate. Mandated Reporting
Fax
Fax the completed mandated reporter form to 229-317-9663. Faxed reports are converted to PDF and routed to the CPS intake email queue.6Georgia Office of the Child Advocate. Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting This works if you already have the standardized form filled out and the portal is unavailable, but it is slower than calling for anything urgent.
What Happens After You File
Intake specialists screen the report against Georgia’s legal definitions of abuse and neglect. A report that meets the threshold is “screened in” and assigned to an Initial Safety Assessment, with the response time tied to severity:
- Immediate response when present danger is indicated; a caseworker is dispatched right away
- 24-hour response when an impending danger safety threat is indicated but no one is in immediate peril
- 5-weekday response when maltreatment is indicated but there is no present or impending danger
Immediate and 24-hour deadlines run from the time the intake report is received. The five-weekday clock starts the day of receipt, and official state holidays count toward the total.7Georgia Division of Family and Children Services. 3.2 Making an Intake Decision A caseworker may contact you for clarification as the investigation develops. If the report is screened out because the allegations do not meet the statutory threshold, the information still stays on file, and a pattern of screened-out reports about the same household can trigger a closer look later.
Your Legal Protections as a Reporter
Anyone who makes a report in good faith is shielded from civil and criminal liability. That protection covers not just the filing but also cooperating with the investigation and participating in any resulting judicial proceeding. Good faith is presumed, so you do not have to prove your intentions; someone challenging the report has to disprove them.3Justia. Georgia Code 19-7-5 – Reporting of Child Abuse
Your identity as the reporter is also protected. O.C.G.A. § 49-5-41 requires that any access to or release of child abuse records protect the identity of the person who filed. Even in cases involving a child fatality or near fatality, where some records become accessible, the reporter’s identifying information may be redacted.8Justia. Georgia Code 49-5-41 – Persons and Agencies Permitted Access to Child Abuse Records The accused family will not be told who filed the report as a matter of course, though complete anonymity is not always possible. A teacher who reported an injury observed during class, for instance, may be identifiable by context even if never named.
HIPAA and FERPA Do Not Block You
If you work in healthcare or education, federal privacy law does not stop you from making this report. HIPAA permits providers to disclose protected health information to a government authority authorized by law to receive child abuse and neglect reports. The exception is at 45 CFR 164.512(b)(1)(ii), and it does not require the patient’s or caregiver’s consent. Share what the report needs, and no more.9eCFR. 45 CFR 164.512 – Uses and Disclosures for Which an Authorization or Opportunity to Agree or Object Is Not Required
FERPA works similarly. Under 34 CFR 99.36, schools may disclose information from education records without prior consent when it is necessary to protect the health or safety of a student or others. If you determine there is an articulable and significant threat, relevant records can go to child welfare or law enforcement.10eCFR. 34 CFR 99.36 – Conditions Under Which FERPA Permits Disclosure in Health and Safety Emergencies Neither law overrides your state duty to report.
Suspected Trafficking Adds a Federal Step
If you suspect a minor is a trafficking victim, your Georgia reporting obligation still runs through the same CPS channels. Federal law adds a step for foreign-born children. Under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, any federal, state, or local official who discovers a child who may be a foreign victim of trafficking must notify the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services within 24 hours. That notification goes to an HHS Child Protection Specialist at ChildTrafficking@acf.hhs.gov or 202-205-4582. File the Georgia CPS report first, then make the federal notification if a foreign-born minor is involved.