For Counselors, Clinicians and Advocates

School counselors, therapists, pediatricians, child advocacy centers, and victim advocates are often the first people a child or survivor tells. This page is for you: what to say, what not to promise, and how to connect a family with legal help when they ask for it.

Your reporting duty comes first

If you are a mandated reporter under California’s Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act, your obligation to report known or reasonably suspected abuse to law enforcement or the county child welfare agency is immediate and independent of anything on this page. Reporting to a principal or supervisor does not satisfy it. See our CANRA page.

What families usually want to know

• Is it too late? Usually not. For pre-2024 abuse, until age 40 or five years from discovery; for abuse on or after January 1, 2024, no deadline. Details.
• Will it be public? Survivors can generally proceed as Jane or John Doe.
• What does it cost? Nothing unless there is a recovery. Details.
• Does the child have to testify? Most cases resolve without trial; any deposition is handled with the child’s wellbeing first.

How to refer

Give the family our number, 877-428-4544, or the contact page. With the family’s permission, you are welcome to call us yourself to describe the situation in general terms. We do not need any records from you to have a first conversation with a family.

Resources you can hand out

• What counts as abuse: plain-language guide for parents and survivors
• Is it too late?: California deadlines explained
• What to expect: the civil process step by step

Speaking engagements

Our attorneys are available to speak to school staff, parent groups, and professional associations about mandated reporting, institutional liability, and how abuse is prevented. Email steve@costellolaw.com.