Child Protection Program

The Child Protection Program assesses victims of alleged physical, emotional, or sexual abuse and neglect. University of Iowa Health Care Stead Family Children's Hospital promotes safety, protection, and well-being of children through the coordination of assessment, education, patient support, and prevention services.

Stead Family Children’s Hospital has a long tradition of providing services for suspected victims of child abuse and neglect.

The Stead Family Children’s Hospital Child Protection Program assesses victims of alleged physical, emotional, or sexual abuse and neglect as well as those who may have experienced childhood trauma. The mission of our program is to promote the safety, protection, and well-being of children and their supportive family members through the provision of education, support, and preventive services as well as the coordination of medical examinations and medical workups.

If you suspect a child is being abused or assaulted, please call the Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-362-2178. If there is some immediate danger to the child please call 911.

Inpatient Consultation Services

When a child is admitted to Stead Family Children’s Hospital for any reason and there is a concern of child abuse or neglect, the child protection team provides inpatient consultation services.

If the child protection team reaches a consensus that there may be abuse and/or neglect, a multidisciplinary team of child protection program staff, your child’s physicians, other Stead Family Children’s Hospital staff (as needed), staff from the Iowa Department of Human Services, and law enforcement officials will work together to ensure your child’s well-being and safety.