In Louisiana, hundreds of reports of suspected child abuse—some involving children in immediate danger—went unaddressed for days simply because they were submitted online. These weren’t minor delays. Some “Priority 1” cases, which require immediate investigation by law, sat untouched for nearly a week.

Why? Because the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) instructed staff to focus on answering hotline calls, leaving online reports from nurses, teachers, and first responders to pile up.

This is not just a staffing problem—it’s a policy failure. Every report of potential child abuse must be treated with the same urgency, whether it comes in by phone or through the official online portal. These reports are submitted by trained professionals who are legally required to report suspected abuse. Ignoring them is a betrayal of our most vulnerable children and those trying to protect them.

We are calling on the Louisiana State Legislature to pass legislation that mandates all "Priority 1" child abuse reports—whether received by phone, online, or in person—be acted on within 24 hours. No exceptions. This must be the law, not just a guideline that can be deprioritized behind the scenes.

We are also calling on Governor Jeff Landry and DCFS Secretary Rebecca Harris to publicly commit to ensuring that digital reports are never again sidelined or left to backlog, and to allocate the resources needed to make this possible without overburdening frontline workers.

Join us in demanding accountability, equality in reporting response, and real reform.

Because no child should wait days for help that should have come in hours.