Report child abuse or neglect

If you suspect a child is being abused or neglected, contact the child welfare agency in the area where the child lives. It’s best if you contact the agency by phone or in person.

Find the child welfare agency in your area. After regular business hours, call 1-866-922-2434 if you believe a child is in immediate danger. Social workers in child welfare agencies assess reports of alleged child abuse and neglect to determine an appropriate response.

Child protection services are about protecting children 18 or younger from abuse and neglect, while making every effort to keep families together. There are 4 different kinds of child abuse:

• physical abuse: the intentional use of force on any part of a child's body that results in injury
• emotional abuse: anything that causes serious mental or emotional harm to a child, which the parent does not attempt to prevent or address
• sexual abuse: the improper exposure of a child to sexual contact, activity or behaviour
• neglect: any lack of care that may cause significant harm to a child's development or endangers the child in any way