Advocacy Win: Anti-Harassment in Reporting Act Becomes Law

Governor Kathy Hochul has signed the Anti-Harassment in Reporting Act into law. This bill helps deter false allegations of child abuse by eliminating anonymous reporting to the State Central Register of Child Abuse and Maltreatment (SCR). This further places New York as a leader in countering the unintended harms of the child welfare system. Texas is the only other state that has enacted a similar law. 

In collaboration with our partners at The New York City Narrowing the Front Door Workgroup, the New York Foundling, Good Shepherd Services, COFCCA, and many other human services, legal, and child and family serving organizations, Graham advocated vigorously for this bill to be enacted.  

This bill advances our Reckoning work, in alignment with our Vision 2029 goal of ending harmful child welfare practices. Anonymous reporting has too often been used by individuals seeking to harass or retaliate against a parent or caregiver while shielding their identity. Parents in the communities we support, including those who participate in our initiatives, as well as our staff and foster parents, have experienced this harassment. We have worked with families that have experienced dozens of investigations, and even when we knew that they were false, we could do nothing to stop them. 

Anonymous reports are rarely deemed credible. In New York City, only 6.7% of ACS cases based on anonymous calls were substantiated in 2023, compared with 22.5% of all cases.  

The passing of this law marks a huge step forward in preventing unnecessary child welfare investigations that traumatize families.