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<section article="gfl" article_name="Family Law" number="5-704" title_number="5" title_name="Children" subtitle_number="7" subtitle_name="Child Abuse and Neglect">
  <level label="a">
    <text>Notwithstanding any other provision of law, including any law on privileged communications, each health practitioner, police officer, educator, or human service worker, acting in a professional capacity in this State who has reason to believe that a child has been subjected to abuse or neglect:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>shall notify the local department or the appropriate law enforcement agency; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>if acting as a staff member of a hospital, public health agency, child care institution, juvenile detention center, school, or similar institution, shall immediately notify and give all information required by this section to the head of the institution or the designee of the head.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <level label="1">
      <text>An individual who notifies the appropriate authorities under subsection (a) of this section shall make:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>an oral report, by telephone or direct communication, as soon as possible to the local department or appropriate law enforcement agency; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>a written report:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>to the local department not later than 48 hours after the contact, examination, attention, or treatment that caused the individual to believe that the child had been subjected to abuse or neglect; and</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>with a copy to the local State’s Attorney.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <level label="i">
        <text>An agency to which an oral report of suspected abuse or neglect is made under paragraph (1) of this subsection shall immediately notify the other agency.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>This paragraph does not prohibit a local department and an appropriate law enforcement agency from agreeing to cooperative arrangements.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>Insofar as is reasonably possible, an individual who makes a report under this section shall include in the report the following information:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>the name, age, and home address of the child;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>the name and home address of the child’s parent or other person who is responsible for the child’s care;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>the whereabouts of the child;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>the nature and extent of the abuse or neglect of the child, including any evidence or information available to the reporter concerning possible previous instances of abuse or neglect; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>any other information that would help to determine:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>the cause of the suspected abuse or neglect; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>the identity of any individual responsible for the abuse or neglect.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
