As a mother who experienced the distress of false anonymous claims, I am calling for a change in how reports are lodged with Social Services. There is a dire need to make it mandatory for anyone reporting a case to Social Services to provide their full name, date of birth, and address, curtailing the misuse of anonymity to harm innocent families. However, in order to respect privacy and ensure the safety of the claimant, this information will be retained confidentially by Social Services and only disclosed in cases where the report has been investigated and found to harbour malice or misinformation.

This heart-wrenching personal ordeal began when a malicious and baseless report was filed against me concerning my one-year-old daughter. The false allegations were so severe that Social Services had to immediately conduct a welfare check. My innocent child was stripped down and examined for any signs of abuse, and I am subjected to drug tests. Not a single part of the report was accurate or valid.

False reports not only traumatize families but also divert precious resources away from families genuinely in need of support. Sadly, this issue is far from rare. The Child Welfare Information Gateway noted 45% of all referrals for child abuse were "screened out" or found to be unnecessary in 2017**. This highlights the massive scale of this problem and the urgent need for policy revision.

It's essential to re-evaluate our reporting systems to prevent baseless accusations from wreaking havoc on innocent families and straining the system's resources. Please sign this petition to urge lawmakers and relevant authorities to reconsider the policy regarding anonymous reports to Social Services. Your support can prevent others from suffering the same traumatic experience my daughter and I endured.