Calls to Colorado's child abuse and neglect hotline increasing

CO4KIDS NEWS RELEASE
March 15, 2022

The Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS) reports that calls to the Colorado Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline, 844-CO-4-Kids (844.264.5437), have rebounded after a significant drop during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2019, the year prior to the pandemic, the total number of calls to the hotline was 219,478. In 2020, CDHS saw a dramatic drop in calls to 193,448 because many mandatory reporters were not seeing kids in person at schools, child care or doctors appointments. In 2021, calls increased 8% to 208,949. The overall uptick is, in part, due a 20% increase in calls from education professionals. As Coloradans continue to return to pre-pandemic activities, CDHS expects to see the number of calls return to regular levels.