Learning that someone has reported you to Pennsylvania's ChildLine system because they suspect a child you care for has been abused can be the start of an incredibly stressful experience. In Blair County, ChildLine referrals are investigated by Blair County Children, Youth, and Families, the county governmental agency responsible for child protection in the county. The process can be very intrusive, and if you're not properly prepared for it, you risk saying or doing something that could have a serious impact on your future. That's why it can be enormously helpful to have the help of the LLF Law Firm from day one. Our experienced attorneys understand Pennsylvania's ChildLine investigations process and will do everything in their power to protect your rights throughout what can be a difficult and upsetting experience. Call us today at 888.535.3686 or use our contact form to schedule a confidential consultation with an experienced family law attorney to learn more about how the LLF Law Firm Criminal Defense Team can protect you.
Pennsylvania's ChildLine System
A 24-hour-a-day, 7-day-a-week online and phone-in hotline reporting system, Pennsylvania's ChildLine is set up specifically to accept reports of suspected child abuse in the state. Reports are then referred to the child services agency in the county where the child named in the report lives. In the case of ChildLine reports about children living in Blair County, the ChildLine system refers the reports to the Blair County Children, Youth, and Families (BCCYF) agency located at the Blair County Courthouse in Hollidaysburg.
ChildLine reports can be filed by anyone, and in many cases, they can be filed anonymously. The ability to file an anonymous report that can turn someone's life upside down makes ChildLine susceptible to false reports filed by people who have issues with the person they're reporting – for example, where two spouses are divorcing, and one spouse files a false ChildLine report in the hopes of gaining an edge in the child custody decision.
ChildLine investigations that uncover support for the child abuse allegation will result in the person's name being added to the ChildLine Registry. The ChildLine Registry can't be viewed by the general public, but it can be searched by a number of employers across the state, as well as charitable organizations running background checks on employees and volunteers.
As a result, having your name added to the ChildLine Registry can result in a number of serious consequences. You may lose your job, have problems finding another job, be unable to do certain types of volunteer work, and have existing or future child custody orders radically changed to limit your access to your child. Once on the list, it can be hard to get your name removed, even in cases where it never should have been added in the first place. Many times, people whose names have been added to the ChildLine registry aren't aware that their name is on it until it's too late, and the consequences have started to affect their lives.
What Is a ChildLine Referral
As noted above, ChildLine is available toll-free and online to anyone with access to a phone or a computer. It's a centralized collection point for suspected child abuse reports, which are then forwarded to the appropriate local agency for review and possible investigation. In the case of Blair County, that agency is the BCCYF.
Not every ChildLine report received by BCCYF results in an investigation. Some reports may relate to issues that are not considered child abuse, but which may impact other state agencies such as social services. In those cases, BCCYF may refer the matter to the agency that is better able to provide the help that the report suggests the child or family needs – such as ones providing assistance with clothing, food, after-school care, tutoring, and more.
If the ChildLine report does appear to relate to a potential case of child abuse, BCCYF will assign a staff member to investigate the report in more detail. This is where your life can get difficult and stressful. Investigations can be very intrusive, involving interviews with you, other people who live with you (including the child named in the report), relatives, and even neighbors or co-workers. The investigator may visit and inspect your home in person, including any outbuildings such as garages, barns, or storage sheds.
A BCCYF investigation may happen in any case where the ChildLine report suggests that physical, emotional, or sexual abuse may have taken place or may be continuing. Investigations may also happen if the child is habitually truant or is frequently in trouble with the law or if the child has run away from home or appears to be neglected. Situations where the parent and child appear to have serious conflict issues can also prompt a BCCYF investigation.
The ChildLine investigation process isn't a criminal one. That doesn't mean that the BCCYF investigator can't refer matters to local law enforcement when they believe criminal child abuse may have occurred. In fact, ChildLine investigators can work together with local police departments, for example, those in Altoona, Tyrone, or Hollidaysburg, to investigate and resolve child abuse cases. If the person accused of child abuse has a professional license, the BCCYF may refer the matter to the appropriate licensing board for possible disciplinary action.
The end result of a ChildLine investigation is either to add the name of the person under investigation to Pennsylvania's ChildLine Registry or to decide that the report is not substantiated to the extent where it is necessary to add the person to the Registry. Being added to the ChildLine Registry can have serious personal consequences, including, in some cases, loss of your job and difficulties finding another one.
Because of this, if you learn that you've been reported to ChildLine and are being investigated – or if you learn that your name has been added to the ChildLine Registry – contact the LLF Law Firm Criminal Defense Team as soon as possible to discuss your situation with one of our experienced attorneys.
ChildLine Referrals in Blair County
In 2022, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services' Annual Child Protective Services Report, BCCYF was responsible for 566 reports of suspected child abuse, with 47 (or less than 8.5%) of those being “substantiated.” The vast majority of child abuse reports – 522 – were not substantiated by BCCYF. Of the 47 reports that were substantiated, the top four types of abuse that together made up roughly 95% of the abuse findings were sexual abuse, physical abuse, “reasonable likelihood of bodily injury,” and “serious physical neglect.”
The significant difference between substantiated and unsubstantiated ChildLine reports in Blair County suggests that many of the abuse reports were not true to begin with. This possibility is supported by the statewide statistics regarding the types of ChildLine reports received and their outcome. Reports filed by people who are required by law to report suspected child abuse (“mandated” reporters, discussed below) were almost twice as likely to be substantiated as were reports filed by the general public (“permissive” reporters), who unlike mandated reporters can file ChildLine reports anonymously.
The problem is that between the time a ChildLine report is filed against you and the time that BCCYF determines it's “unsubstantiated,” you will have gone through a lot of time and stress even in situations where you are certain that the report is false and completely without merit. Knowing that you have the help of one of the experienced attorneys from the LLF Law Firm can help you manage the significant amount of anxiety and pressure that can come from being the target of a ChildLine investigation.
Who Can Make a ChildLine Report?
As discussed above, there are two types of ChildLine reporters: mandated and permissive.
Mandated Reporters
Mandated reporters are required by Pennsylvania law to file ChildLine reports when they encounter a situation that makes them suspect that a child may have been abused or neglected or is in danger of being abused or neglected. Mandated reporters must use their names when filing ChildLine reports. Whether they are a mandated reporter or not is typically based on their job; for example, teachers, law enforcement personnel, clergy, medical personnel, and counselors are all mandated reporters.
A mandated reporter who fails to file a ChildLine report when they should have done so can be held criminally responsible. This gives mandated reporters a powerful incentive to be over-cautious about filing reports; in other words, to avoid criminal liability, they may file ChildLine reports even in situations where they may not personally believe that child abuse or neglect is taking place. Because they are immune from lawsuits for filing a false report, provided they did so in good faith, mandated reporters are more likely to file ChildLine reports simply to avoid possible criminal prosecution.
Permissive Reporters
Anyone who isn't a mandated reporter can be a permissive reporter. And any permissive reporter can file a ChildLine report anonymously. This provides a substantial incentive for people to maliciously file anonymous ChildLine reports, even in cases where they have no reason to believe that abuse or neglect is happening. That said, if their identity is discovered and it's determined they filed the ChildLine report maliciously, they can be held criminally liable.
No matter who has filed a ChildLine report naming you as a possible abuser, you need the help of one of the experienced attorneys from the LLF Law Firm to advise and guide you through the difficult investigation process.
What Happens if a ChildLine Referral Results in a Finding of Child Abuse?
ChildLine investigations will either end with a finding that the abuse report was unsubstantiated, in which case the matter will be closed, or that the abuse report was substantiated, in which case your name will be added to the ChildLine Registry. When your name is added to the registry, it becomes available to employers and volunteer organizations conducting background checks; it may result in you losing your job, particularly if you work with or around children, and can separately result in you being referred to law enforcement for possible criminal charges.
The key to helping yourself when a ChildLine investigation is being launched against you is to work with an attorney who understands Pennsylvania's child abuse and neglect laws as well as the ChildLine investigation process and who can be there with you to protect your rights at every stage of the investigation. The LLF Law Firm Team has helped people all over Pennsylvania – including in Blair County – who find themselves targets in ChildLine investigations.
What Are Your Rights if Your Name Has Been Referred to ChildLine?
As the target of a ChildLine report referred to BCCYF, you do have rights if BCCYF decides to start investigating you. These include:
- The right to receive notice of child abuse or neglect report filed against you
- The right to have an attorney represent you during and after the BCCYF investigation, including during BCCYF interviews and meetings
- The right to have your name removed from the ChildLine Registry, or to have the listing amended, in certain circumstances
Once BCCYF's investigation is complete, you also have the following rights:
- The right to receive the results of BCCYF's investigation and to know whether or not your name will be added to the BCCYF Registry
- The right to appeal BCCYF's decision to add your name to the ChildLine Registry (which must be done within 90 days)
- The right to have a hearing on your appeal, where BCCYF must support (with substantial evidence) its decision to add your name to the ChildLine Registry
- The right to be notified about the effects adding your name to the ChildLine Registry will have on your job and career opportunities.
Appeals are not always fruitless. In 2022, approximately 15% of appeals of ChildLine Registry decisions resulted in the person's Pennsylvania ChildLine Registry listing being removed. Having an experienced attorney draft and argue your appeal can make a significant difference in the possibility that it will succeed. The LLF Law Firm can help with appeals, even if we weren't involved during the ChildLine investigation stage.
How the LLF Law Firm Can Help You if You've Been Referred to ChildLine in Blair County
Being the target of a ChildLine investigation can be one of the most stressful times you'll ever experience as a parent. The LLF Law Firm can help you through this difficult time, with our experienced attorneys by your side to explain the investigation process to you and defend your rights throughout. We can be there during BCCYF home visits and during their interviews with you, and we can act as your skilled advocate in discussions with BCCYF about the ChildLine referral claims filed against you.
If you are coming to us after your name has been added to the ChildLine Registry and you believe it should not have been, we'll investigate that and can file to have the listing removed or revised, as appropriate. Similarly, if you need to appeal a recent adverse ChildLine Registry determination, we can prepare and file the appeal for you and represent you throughout the entire process.
The sooner you contact the LLF Law Firm Team once you learn you're the target of a ChildLine investigation, the more we can do to help. Call us today at 888.535.3686 or use our contact form to schedule a confidential consultation with one of our experienced attorneys. We understand how difficult this is for you, and we're here to listen and to help.
