Free guide · 2026 edition · CAPTA, the federal 24-hour sports rule and state duties to report
Tell Someone: A mandated-reporting playbook for nonprofits and the volunteers they train
Who has to report suspected abuse, how fast, why telling a supervisor isn’t enough, the protections and penalties — and what to do in the moment a child tells you.
By the VolunteerBadge research team · Published September 11, 2026
- Written for coaches, camp staff, ministry volunteers and the coordinators who train them
- Who must report, how fast, and to whom — with the statutes
- A policy checklist and a pocket card for every volunteer
- Every statute, report and statistic cited
Who Tell Someone is for
Volunteer coordinators, pastors, camp directors, coaches, league and club leaders, school and PTA leaders, mentoring staff and every volunteer they train. If adults in your program spend time with children or vulnerable adults, this guide is written for you.
4.37M
referrals to child protective services were made in federal fiscal year 2024 — an estimated 4,365,000.
Child Maltreatment 2024
~17
states require any person who suspects child abuse to report it — not just professionals.
Child Welfare Information Gateway
24 hrs
is the outer federal reporting limit for adults authorized by national governing bodies and amateur sports organizations in interstate competition to work with athletes.
34 U.S.C. §20341
From the Tell Someone executive summary
Six rules for the moment a volunteer suspects abuse
- 1
Every state has a mandatory-reporting law.
Federal grant law (CAPTA) requires it as a condition of funding, and leaves it to each state to decide who must report.
- 2
In about 17 states, everyone is a mandated reporter.
In others, volunteers may be named directly — Pennsylvania covers individuals “paid or unpaid.”
- 3
Report to the authorities, not just your supervisor.
California says telling a supervisor “shall not be a substitute for making a mandated report.”
- 4
“Immediately” means now.
Sports volunteers covered by federal law must report within 24 hours at the latest — and state law may require it immediately.
- 5
Good-faith reporters are protected.
Every state provides immunity. Failing to report can be a crime.
- 6
Don’t investigate.
Listen, write down what you heard, report, and keep the child safe.
Inside Tell Someone, chapter by chapter
- 01
Why reporting catches what screening can’t
Why reporting catches what screening can’t, with 4.37M CPS referrals and the federal 24-hour sports limit.
- 02
What counts as abuse
The federal definition, and who investigates what.
- 03
Who has to report
Listed professions, universal-reporting states and permissive reporters.
- 04
Volunteers and clergy in state law
Pennsylvania’s “paid or unpaid,” California’s volunteer rules, and clergy.
- 05
Youth sports: the federal 24-hour rule
Who is a covered individual, the duty, and SafeSport’s rules on top.
- 06
How fast, and to whom
Timing by state, and where to call.
- 07
“I told my supervisor” isn’t enough
What the statutes say, and how to write your policy.
- 08
Protection for reporters — and penalties for silence
Good-faith immunity, and failure-to-report penalties by state.
- 09
What to do in the moment
Six steps when a child tells you — and what not to do.
- 10
Your organization’s duties
What the CDC recommends, and five things to build.
- 11
Reporting abuse of older and vulnerable adults
State reporting laws and the federal long-term care rule.
- 12
Screening, training and reporting together
Where reports come from, and how the layers fit.
- A
Appendix A: Reporting policy checklist
Draft or audit the reporting section of your policy.
- B
Appendix B: Pocket card: if a child tells you
Seven steps to print for every volunteer.
- C
Appendix C: Free Academy courses and reporting citations
Free Academy courses and every citation.
Questions Tell Someone answers
- Are volunteers mandated reporters?
- It depends on your state. About 17 states require any person to report suspected child abuse, and some states name volunteers directly — Pennsylvania covers individuals “paid or unpaid” in regularly scheduled programs. Federal law also makes many adults in organized sports mandated reporters with a 24-hour deadline.
- Is telling my supervisor or pastor enough?
- Often not. California says telling a supervisor “shall not be a substitute for making a mandated report,” Pennsylvania requires reporting to the state first and then notifying the person in charge, and Texas bars professionals from delegating the report. Report to the authorities, then tell your organization.
VolunteerBadge is owned and operated by ScreenForge Labs, LLC, an FCRA-regulated Consumer Reporting Agency that has obtained its FCRA Certificate from the Consumer Data Industry Association (CDIA). This guide is general educational information and is not legal advice. Laws change; this guide's sources were checked as of September 11, 2026.