Starting next year, a new law will mandate callers to New York’s child abuse and neglect hotline to provide their name and contact details, putting an end to “anonymous reporting,” a practice that advocates argue has been prone to misuse for harassment purposes. Read more about the legislation here.
Although filing false reports of child abuse has always been illegal, the veil of anonymity has made it challenging to hold those who misuse the system accountable. Previous attempts to eliminate anonymous reporting faced resistance due to concerns that it might discourage legitimate reports. For more insights, visit this analysis.
The bill, recently signed by Governor Hochul, aims to find middle ground. While it eliminates the option of anonymous reporting, it also ensures the state’s commitment to protect the identity of those who report confidentially. Learn about the specific amendments here.
“In my decades of experience, we often see individuals exploiting this system,” commented Christine Gottlieb, an assistant law professor at New York University and the director of its family defense clinic. “Whether it’s landlords, neighbors with grievances, or former partners, the issue was that anyone could easily initiate an investigation with a simple phone call.”
Gottlieb further explained, “This legislation represents a crucial shift as it will reduce the number of unfounded malicious reports that lead to deeply intrusive investigations. These investigations can be unnecessarily distressing for children and their families.” More information on similar cases can be found here.
Data from the New York City Family Policy Project reveals that in New York City, one out of every 24 child welfare cases is initiated by an anonymous caller. However, these anonymous tips are seldom deemed credible. In 2023, only 6.7% of cases based on anonymous reports were substantiated, compared to 22.5% of all cases overall. Often, these cases involve Black and Brown low-income families and can be traumatizing, leading to home visits or even strip searches of children.
The reforms, advocates say, will spare families such an experience, while freeing up resources to focus on credible allegations of child abuse instead of frivolous reports.
“We support limitations on anonymous reports to curb malicious reporting, with appropriate carve-outs that keep children safe should the [hotline] operator believe a child is in imminent risk or the child is the caller,” said Marisa Kaufman, a spokeswoman for the Administration for Children’s Services. “We look forward to seeing the chapter amendments and to a future without anonymous, malicious reports.”
The bill was sponsored by State Sen. Jabari Brisport (D-Brooklyn) and Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi (D-Queens), and passed both houses of the state Legislature with a majority of support. It was amended by Gov. Hochul — whose office did not return a request for comment — to allow for anonymous reporting by minors themselves.
With the governor’s signature, New York will become the third state — after Texas and California — to ban or discourage anonymous reporting. The law will go into effect next summer, after hotline operators receive training in how to answer questions about confidentiality protections and when to transfer callers to a supervisor.
Joyce McMillan, a parent advocate who for years has been pushing for an end to anonymous reporting, celebrated the measure’s signing into law, which she said will help “stop the overzealous behavior toward families — that just destroys them.”
“I’m happy the governor saw the importance of this bill at the end of the day,” McMillan said, “and chose to do what was right.”
