DEFINITIONS AND GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETION OF FORM SS 8572
All Penal Code (PC) references are located in Article 2.5 of the PC. This article is known as the Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting
Act (CANRA). The provisions of CANRA may be viewed at: http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/calaw.html (specify ƒPenal Code≈ and search
for Sections 11164-11174.3). A mandated reporter must complete and submit the form SS 8572 even if some of the requested
information is not known. (PC Section 11167(a).)
I. MANDATED CHILD ABUSE REPORTERS
• Mandated child abuse reporters include all those individuals
and entities listed in PC Section 11165.7.
II. TO WHOM REPORTS ARE TO BE MADE
(ƒDESIGNATED AGENCIES≈)
• Reports of suspected child abuse or neglect shall be made by
mandated reporters to any police department or sheriff«s
department (not including a school district police or security
department), the county probation department (if designated
by the county to receive mandated reports), or the county
welfare department. (PC Section 11165.9.)
III. REPORTING RESPONSIBILITIES
• Any mandated reporter who has knowledge of or observes a
child, in his or her professional capacity or within the scope
of his or her employment, whom he or she knows or
reasonably suspects has been the victim of child abuse or
neglect shall report such suspected incident of abuse or
neglect to a designated agency immediately or as soon as
practically possible by telephone and shall prepare and send
a written report thereof within 36 hours of receiving the
information concerning the incident. (PC Section 11166(a).)
• No mandated reporter who reports a suspected incident of
child abuse or neglect shall be held civilly or criminally
liable for any report required or authorized by CANRA. Any
other person reporting a known or suspected incident of child
abuse or neglect shall not incur civil or criminal liability as a
result of any report authorized by CANRA unless it can be
proven the report was false and the person knew it was false
or made the report with reckless disregard of its truth or
falsity. (PC Section 11172(a).)
IV. INSTRUCTIONS
• SECTION A - REPORTING PARTY: Enter the mandated
reporter«s name, title, category (from PC Section 11165.7),
business/agency name and address, daytime telephone
number, and today«s date. Check yes-no whether the
mandated reporter witnessed the incident. The signature area
is for either the mandated reporter or, if the report is
telephoned in by the mandated reporter, the person taking the
telephoned report.
IV. INSTRUCTIONS (Continued)
• SECTION B - REPORT NOTIFICATION: Complete the
name and address of the designated agency notified, the date/
time of the phone call, and the name, title, and telephone
number of the official contacted.
• SECTION C - VICTIM (One Report per Victim): Enter
the victim«s name, address, telephone number, birth date or
approximate age, sex, ethnicity, present location, and, where
applicable, enter the school, class (indicate the teacher«s
name or room number), and grade. List the primary
language spoken in the victim«s home. Check the appropriate
yes-no box to indicate whether the victim may have a
developmental disability or physical disability and specify
any other apparent disability. Check the appropriate yes-no
box to indicate whether the victim is in foster care, and check
the appropriate box to indicate the type of care if the victim
was in out-of-home care. Check the appropriate box to
indicate the type of abuse. List the victim«s relationship to
the suspect. Check the appropriate yes-no box to indicate
whether photos of the injuries were taken. Check the
appropriate box to indicate whether the incident resulted in
the victim«s death.
• SECTION D - INVOLVED PARTIES: Enter the requested
information for: Victim«s Siblings, Victim«s Parents/
Guardians, and Suspect. Attach extra sheet(s) if needed
(provide the requested information for each individual on the
attached sheet(s)).
• SECTION E - INCIDENT INFORMATION: If multiple
victims, indicate the number and submit a form for each
victim. Enter date/time and place of the incident. Provide a
narrative of the incident. Attach extra sheet(s) if needed.
V. DISTRIBUTION
• Reporting Party: After completing Form SS 8572, retain
the yellow copy for your records and submit the top three
copies to the designated agency.
• Designated Agency: Within 36 hours of receipt of Form
SS 8572, send white copy to police or sheriff«s department,
blue copy to county welfare or probation department, and
green copy to district attorney«s office.
ETHNICITY CODES
1 Alaskan Native 6 Caribbean 11 Guamanian 16 Korean 22 Polynesian 27 White-Armenian
2 American Indian 7 Central American 12 Hawaiian 17 Laotian 23 Samoan 28 White-Central American
3 Asian Indian 8 Chinese 13 Hispanic 18 Mexican 24 South American 29 White-European
4 Black 9 Ethiopian 14 Hmong 19 Other Asian 25 Vietnamese 30 White-Middle Eastern
5 Cambodian 10 Filipino 15 Japanese 21 Other Pacific Islander 26 White 31 White-Romanian
