According to Tennessee law, ALL adults must report suspected cases of child abuse and neglect. This includes doctors, police, teachers, parents, mental health professionals, child care providers, dentists, family members and friends.
The Memphis Child Advocacy Center does not accept reports of abuse or neglect.
The Tennessee Department of Children's Services is mandated by law to investigate reports of suspected child abuse and neglect. If you live in Tennessee, immediately report your suspicions online at https://apps.tn.gov/carat/. You can also call the Tennessee Child Abuse Hotline at 1.877.237.0004.
Following are numbers to call if the suspected abuse or neglect is happening in other states outside of Tennessee:
Desoto County, Mississippi: 1.662.429.1480
Mississippi (other than Desoto): 1.800.222.8000
Arkansas: 1.800.482.5964
For all other states, call: 1.800.422.4453
When you call, it will be helpful if you can provide as much of the following information as possible:
Name, age and address of the child
Name and address of the parent(s) or guardian(s)
Nature of abuse
Identity of offender
If you believe that the child is in immediate danger, you should call your local police or sheriff’s office. To report to law enforcement:
Bartlett, TN: 901.385.5565
Collierville, TN: 901.583.3207
Germantown, TN: 901.754.7222
Memphis, TN: 901.545.2677 (545-COPS)
Millington, TN: 901.872.3333
Shelby County, TN Sheriff: 901.379.7625
CyberTipline: If you know or suspect online child sexual exploitation (examples include online enticement of children for sexual acts, child pornography, sex trafficking, or misleading domain names, words or images on the internet), report them to the CyberTipline. Call 800.843.5678.