Child Protection Laws Washington like many other states have appointed mandatory reporters, this means anyone who works closely with children is required to report if they suspect a child is being abused or neglected. The penalty for not reporting is considered a misdemeanor ("Find Law", 2015). Those who are required to report are police officers, pediatricians, teachers and other people who work closely with children. The guidelines for reporting state that if there is a reasonable cause to believe that a child has been abused or neglected there is a valid reason to report your suspicion ("Find Law", 2015). Mandatory reporting is great when a child is unable or does not talk to someone about his or her life. Often children do not know there is something wrong or are afraid to say anything. Mandatory reporting allows someone on the outside that sees the signs to report their concerns to someone who will look into the matter. Sometimes it may not lead to anything, but often it does lead to a valid case where the child is in need of help. In the state of Washington, when someone reports that a child is being abused or neglected CPS, or Child Protection Services will begin to conduct an investigation. If they feel that the child could be in immediate danger by the report given, then the investigation will start within 24 hours. If CPS does not feel that the child is in danger, they have up to 90 days to do an investigation. If they investigate and feel that the child is in danger, or is in fact being abused or neglected in anyway, they will obtain a court order to immediately remove the child from the home. They normally try to place the child temporarily with a family member. There are also instances where law enforcement protects children by removing them from a home, or
