Who Has To Report It

In Missouri, physicians, nurses and other health practitioners, psychologists, mental health professionals, social workers, child care workers, juvenile and probation officers, school personnel and the other people the section lists, who have reasonable cause to suspect a child has been or may be subjected to abuse or neglect, report it.

• Mo. Rev. Stat. § 210.115

• Abuse for this purpose includes abuse by any person, not only the child's caregiver.
• When a member of a staff is designated to report and has not, any member who knows that immediately makes the report.
• Any other person with reasonable cause to suspect abuse or neglect may report.
• A required reporter may also report to any law enforcement agency or juvenile office.

• Mo. Rev. Stat. § 210.115

What counts as abuse or neglect, the immunity a good faith report carries, and the confidentiality of the reporter are set in other sections and are not reproduced here. In an emergency, the police come first. Whether a duty applied in a particular case is a question for a court and for a licensed Missouri attorney.

• Mo. Rev. Stat. § 210.115