Reporting Child Abuse
22 M.R.S. § 4011-A — teachers, doctors, caregivers and others report at once; anyone may
Listed professionals acting in that capacity, among them physicians, physician associates, teachers and clergy outside confidential communications, report immediately to the Department of Health and Human Services when they know or have reasonable cause to suspect a child has been or is likely to be abused or neglected, or that a suspicious child death has occurred.
Who handles this in Maine: legal aid programs and the state offices, listed in the Maine directory.
- So does anyone who has taken on care or custody of the child, paid or not, full time or occasionally.
- A staff member of an institution may report through the person in charge, who then reports, and gets written confirmation that the report was made.
- When the suspected abuser is not responsible for the child, a professional also reports to the district attorney's office.
- Anyone else may make a report on the same reasonable cause.
A mandated reporter completes approved training at least once every 4 years.
Sources for this section (1)
- 22 M.R.S. § 4011-A — Reporting of suspected abuse or neglect
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Maine attorney.