Section 441.175.22. Receipt of a report of suspected child abuse.

 Reports of suspected child abuse shall be received by local department offices, the central abuse registry, or the Child Abuse Hotline.

         175.22(1) Any report made to the department which alleges child abuse, as defined in Iowa Code section 232.68, or constitutes a complaint that a child is a child in need of assistance, as defined in Iowa Code section 232.2(6), shall be accepted for assessment.

         175.22(2) Reports of suspected child abuse which do not meet the legal definition of child abuse shall become rejected intakes.

            a.                If a report of suspected child abuse does not meet the legal definition of child abuse or is accepted as a family assessment, but a criminal act harming a child is alleged, the department shall immediately refer the matter to the appropriate law enforcement agency.

            b.                If a report constitutes an allegation of child sexual abuse as defined under Iowa Code section 232.68(2)“a”(3) as amended by 2016 Iowa Acts, Senate File 2258, except that the suspected abuse resulted from the acts or omissions of a person who was not a caretaker or was not a person who resides in a home with the child, the department shall refer the report to law enforcement orally as soon as practicable and follow up in writing within 72 hours of receiving the report.

[ ARC 1156C , IAB 10/30/13, effective 1/1/14;    ARC 2069C , IAB 8/5/15, effective 10/1/15;    ARC 2742C , IAB 10/12/16, effective 12/1/16]