ANSWER:

Under Oregon law, child care providers must report child abuse to authorities. That means if they suspect a child they are caring for is being abused, they must report it. To report it, they must contact the police or the local DHS Child Welfare office.

As a parent, you should also report child abuse if you suspect it is happening to any child. You could be the only hope the child has of getting away from a harmful situation. We've included a list of signs of possible child abuse on the previous page.

Your report will be confidential - only a court can order your name to be released.

Information from Oregon Department of Human Resources. More information can be obtained at http://egov.oregon.gov/DHS/children/.