Reporting Child Abuse
La. Ch.C. art. 609 — a mandatory reporter who believes a child is endangered by abuse or neglect reports it immediately
Mandatory reporters include health practitioners, mental health and social service practitioners, members of the clergy, and others the Children's Code lists. Any one of them with cause to believe a child's health or welfare is endangered by abuse or neglect reports it, despite any claim of privilege, and anyone else may.
- Abuse by a parent or caretaker, or a parent's dating partner, goes to the Department of Children and Family Services.
- Abuse by anyone else, or by school staff against a student, goes to local or state law enforcement.
- An emergency report by a mandatory reporter goes through the state child protection hotline.
- The pregnancy of a child under the age of thirteen years is cause to consider whether the child was abused.
A person who reports in good faith, or cooperates in the investigation, is immune from civil or criminal liability. The immunity does not cover a report known to be false or made with reckless disregard for the truth.
Sources for this section (4)
- La. Ch.C. art. 603 — Definitions
- La. Ch.C. art. 609 — Mandatory and permitted reporting; training requirements
- La. Ch.C. art. 610 — Reporting procedure; reports to the legislature and the United States Department of Defense Family Advocacy Program
- La. Ch.C. art. 611 — Immunity from civil or criminal liability
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Louisiana attorney.