Confidentiality
Do I have to give my name when I report? Is this confidential?
The reporting procedures are not anonymous but are confidential. This means
that as a mandated reporter you must provide your name and school affiliation
to the Central Register, but the register is prohibited from releasing
these particulars to the child’s parent, guardian or other household
member.
Unless the case comes to court and you are called to testify (which rarely
happens), the parent or guardian will not know who reported the suspected
abuse. Your identity may be given only to a court, grand jury, district
attorney, police or other agency allowed access by the state Social
Services Law.
Although the statute appears to permit disclosure in many different situations,
the overriding concern is to limit the disclosure of records and identities
of reporters to situations that require it—where a child’s
safety is jeopardized or where there are questions of due process, judicial
investigations involving arrest of a subject or a report or death of a
child named in the report, or fairness.
One other point: By giving your name when filing a report, you are
documenting that you have discharged your legal responsibility.
Must a principal give my name when reporting information
I provided?
No. Only the person calling is required to give his/her name.