14-3-206. Child abuse or neglect; written report; statewide reporting center; documentation and examination; costs and admissibility thereof.

(a) Reports of child abuse or neglect or of suspected child abuse or neglect made to the local child protective agency or local law enforcement agency shall be:

(i) Conveyed immediately by the agency receiving the report to the appropriate local child protective agency or local law enforcement agency and, if the person responsible for the welfare of a child is a member of the armed forces or if the child is enrolled in the defense enrollment eligibility reporting system of the United States department of defense, to the state judge advocate for the Wyoming military department. The agencies shall continue cooperating and coordinating with each other during the assessment or investigation; and

(ii) Followed by a written report by the receiving agency confirming or not confirming the facts reported. The report shall provide to law enforcement, the local child protective agency and the state judge advocate for the Wyoming military department when appropriate, the following, to the extent available:

(A) The name, age and address of the child;

(B) The name and address of any person responsible for the child's care;

(C) The nature and extent of the child's condition;

(D) The basis of the reporter's knowledge;

(E) The names and conditions of any other children relevant to the report;

(F) Any evidence of previous injuries to the child;

(G) Photographs, videos and x-rays with the identification of the person who created the evidence and the date the evidence was created; and

(H) Any other relevant information.

(b) The state agency may establish and maintain a statewide reporting center to receive reports of child abuse or neglect on a twenty-four (24) hour, seven (7) day week, toll free telephone number. Upon establishment of the service, all reports of child abuse or neglect may be made to the center which shall transfer the reports to the appropriate local child protective agency.

(c) Any person investigating, examining or treating suspected child abuse or neglect may document evidence of child abuse or neglect to the extent allowed by law by having photographs taken or causing x-rays to be made of the areas of trauma visible on a child who is the subject of the report or who is subject to a report. The reasonable cost of the photographs or x-rays shall be reimbursed by the appropriate local child protective agency. All photographs, x-rays or copies thereof shall be sent to the local child protective agency, admissible as evidence in any civil proceeding relating to child abuse or neglect, and shall state:

(i) The name of the subject;

(ii) The name, address and telephone number of the person taking the photographs or x-rays; and

(iii) The date and place they were taken.

(d) Any physician, physician's assistant or nurse practitioner examining a child and finding reasonable cause to believe the child is a victim of child abuse or neglect and having reasonable cause to believe that other children residing in the same home may also be a victim of child abuse or neglect shall report to law enforcement the results of the examination and facts supporting reasonable cause with respect to the other child or children. Law enforcement may then bring any other child residing in the same home to a physician, physician's assistant or nurse practitioner for examination. The examination shall take place within twenty-four (24) hours. Any physician, physician's assistant, nurse practitioner or law enforcement officer denied access to a child for the purposes of examination under this subsection may seek an appropriate court order by ex parte proceedings or other appropriate proceedings to provide for the examination. After receiving the timely results of the examination, the examining physician, physician's assistant, nurse practitioner or law enforcement officer shall consider whether temporary protective custody is necessary under W.S. 14-3-405.