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Español.Non-parent mentions possible child abuse - info on CPS, police, custody, etc
In general, if a person suspects that a child is being abused or neglected, s/he may be able to report this to the police or to CPS (Child Protective Services). While these options do exist, both can have serious consequences for the child and his/her parents. Here is a link to the Child Protective Services website in STATE, with information about how to report the abuse.
You may consider speaking to a lawyer first to figure out the positive and negative aspects of reporting to the police or to CPS. If you can’t afford a lawyer, you may be able to get help from a legal aid organization, which provides free or low-cost legal help in some cases. HYPERLINK
You may also consider reaching out to an organization that specializes in child abuse. They may be able to provide you with additional support or perhaps advice.
Another possibility for someone who is worried about a child’s welfare is to try to file to get custody of the child as a non-parent. I am not sure if this is something that you are interested in pursuing, and although I cannot speak to your state’s laws, a non-parent generally has to prove that the parent is unfit and that it is in the child’s best interest to be with the non-parent in order to win custody, which can be very hard to do. Parents generally have the first right to a child’s custody unless they are proven to be unfit or there are extenuating circumstances.
Every state handles custody matters differently, so again, you may want to talk to a lawyer in your state who handles custody to see what the standards are in your state. Here is some information on custody in general in case it may be useful: LINK
