To make a report of suspected child abuse, neglect, or dependency, please call  919-642-6988 or visit the office located at 102 Camp Dr.  Pittsboro, NC 27312.

Our office is open Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm. If you need to make a report after normal business hours, weekends, or holidays, please call 919-542-2911 and ask to speak with the child protective services Social Worker on-call.

What is Child Protective Services (CPS)?

Protective Services for Children is a legally mandated service which is available 24 hours and 7 days a week. This service is provided to children and their parents/caretakers in response to instances of actual or suspected child neglect, abuse, or dependency. Protective Services social workers assess safety risk of harm to children and provide services to remedy the causes of the maltreatment of children. This includes assessing or investigating reports of neglect, abuse, dependency or exploitation and evaluating the safety of the children.

Social Workers work with the children's family toward the solution and prevention of problems causing neglect, abuse, or dependency. The social worker helps arrange for the provision of services to help the family such as health care services, mental health services, and if necessary, foster care. Social workers cooperate with law enforcement agencies and initiate court action if necessary for the protection of the children. The Protective Services Unit is made up of intake workers, family assessors, and investigators.

What is considered child maltreatment?

North Carolina law defines child abuse as follows:
• The alleged victim must be under the age of 18 years old.
• The person responsible for the alleged abuse or neglect must be a parent, guardian, custodian or caretaker.
• The reported allegations must meet the legal definition of abuse, neglect or dependency in order to start a CPS assessment.

Child maltreatment encompasses three areas, abuse, neglect, or dependency.

Additionally, North Carolina law protects against trafficking of children, which is defined as coercion, deception, involuntary servitude, minor status, and sexual servitude. North Carolina’s child welfare system has jurisdiction over child trafficking victims.

Abuse may include, but is not limited to:
• Physical, sexual, or emotional abuse
• Moral turpitude
• Exploitation

Neglect may include, but is not limited to:
• Improper care, supervision, or discipline
• Lack of medical and remedial care.
• Injurious environment.
• Illegal adoption.

Dependency may include, but is not limited to:
• Absence of a caretaker.
• Caretaker is unable to provide for the child.

What is Multiple Response System?

The Multiple Response System (MRS) is an effort to reform the entire continuum of child welfare services in North Carolina, from intake through placement services. The reform is based upon the application of family centered principles of partnership through seven strategic components of MRS.
North Carolina's seven strategies for system reform are:
• Collaboration between the Work First Family Assistance and child welfare programs
• A choice of two approaches to reports of child abuse, neglect, or dependency (Family assessment or Investigative)
• A redesign of in-home services
• A strengths-based, structured intake process
• Coordination between law enforcement agencies and child protective services for the investigative assessment approach
• Implementation of Child and Family Team meetings during the provision of in-home services
• Implementation of Shared-Parenting meetings in child placement cases

Helpful Links:

NC Department of Health and Human Services:  About Child Abuse and Child Neglect:  https://www.ncdhhs.gov/divisions/social-services/child-welfare-services/child-protective-services/about-child-abuse-and

Positive Childhood Alliance:  https://www.preventchildabusenc.org/

What is Child Abuse and Neglect:  https://www.childwelfare.gov/resources/definitions-child-abuse-and-neglect-north-carolina/

Project No Rest:  https://www.projectnorest.org/what-does-human-trafficking-look-like/