BISMARCK – The North Dakota Department of Human Services and the state’s 19 human service zones announced the launch today of a statewide toll-free child abuse and neglect reporting line that is part of a new child protection services intake process.

Individuals who suspect a child is being abused or neglected in North Dakota should call 833-958-3500 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. to make a report. If a child is in immediate danger, people should call 9-1-1.

“During this latest social service redesign effort, we created a new statewide centralized intake unit staffed by a dedicated team of 12 specialized CPS intake workers and two supervisors who live and work across the state in the human service zones,” said Sara Stolt, chief operating officer for the department. “The CPS intake workers will ask focused questions, gather needed facts, work with supervisors to triage reports and provide a complete intake referral to local CPS professionals when reports meet criteria.”

She said this will allow local CPS professionals to act more quickly to protect children while devoting more time to strengthening and supporting families while they are still together, which will help children remain safe in their family homes. This aligns with a key department priority – building stronger families.

Having a specialized intake unit will also ensure more consistency and should reduce the need for call backs. If one intake worker is busy, the line will roll to another.

The local CPS supervisors and workers are responsible for notifying law enforcement of potential criminal situations.

Law enforcement and health care professionals who need a CPS worker to respond to their location immediately will continue to call their local human service zone offices directly. However, supporting documents should be faxed to the new centralized CPS Intake Unit at 328-0361.